Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday urged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately visit Doda for an on-ground assessment of the situation following reports of an internet blackout in the hill district.
Tension gripped Doda and nearby areas after the arrest of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA), leading to violent clashes between protesters and security forces and the detention of over 80 people. Prohibitory orders continued for the third straight day, while mobile internet and WiFi services remained suspended as a precaution.
“The Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah must urgently visit Doda to assess the ground situation and take immediate measures to provide relief,” Mufti said in a post on X.
She described the reports from the district as “deeply disturbing,” pointing to the internet blackout, school closures, curfew, and alleged road blockades that she said infringed upon people’s basic right to movement. “This heavy-handed bureaucratic response is not just authoritarian; it undermines the very essence of democracy,” she added.
Malik, who won the Doda assembly seat in 2024 by over 4,500 votes, was detained on Monday for allegedly disturbing public order and shifted to Kathua jail. This marks the first instance of a sitting MLA in Jammu and Kashmir being held under the PSA, which permits detention without charge or trial for up to two years in certain cases.
