Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has issued a show-cause notice to PDP MLA from Pulwama, Waheed Para, over his social media post alleging that the Assembly secretariat had endorsed the detention of AAP legislator Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Taking cognizance of Para’s remarks on X following Malik’s arrest on Monday, the Speaker on Wednesday directed him to explain within seven days why breach of privilege or contempt proceedings should not be initiated.
Rather strongly objected to Para’s “false” claim, stressing that the Speaker has no authority to approve or disapprove the arrest of an MLA. “Such arrests are made by the district magistrate. The Assembly secretariat’s role is limited to informing members as per Rule 260,” he said, adding that Para had “deliberately misled the public.”
In his Monday post, Para had described the development as a “shameful surrender,” alleging that endorsing PSA against an elected MLA was “a direct assault on democracy.”
The Assembly secretariat also issued a clarification, rejecting reports of its involvement in Malik’s detention. “The Secretariat has no role in the matter. Under Rule 260, it is only obliged to inform members about the arrest,” it said in a statement.
