AAP MLA Mehraj Malik Unlikely to Attend J-K Budget Session, Party Moves High Court

Srinagar/Jammu: As the budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly begins on Monday with an address by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, chances appear slim that Aam Aadmi Party’s lone MLA, Mehraj Malik, will be present in the House.

Malik, the MLA from Doda, has been lodged in jail since September 8, 2025, after the then Deputy Commissioner of Doda invoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) against him. He was also unable to attend the previous Assembly session held in October last year, as no decision was taken on his plea seeking permission to participate in the proceedings.

With the budget session scheduled to start on February 2, the AAP has once again decided to approach the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, seeking permission for the incarcerated legislator to attend the session. The party has also requested that Malik’s habeas corpus petition be transferred to the Srinagar bench, following the transfer of Justice Muhammad Yousuf from Jammu to Srinagar.

AAP leader Amit Kapoor said the Chief Justice has agreed to move the case to the Srinagar bench and that the party is hopeful of an early hearing. He added that the matter, listed on January 29 at the Jammu bench, could not be taken up due to the non-availability of the concerned judge.

Expressing little faith in the government, Kapoor said Malik had been denied permission earlier as well. “If the government was serious, it could have convened a special session to discuss Malik’s detention under PSA. That did not happen. Our only hope is the judiciary,” he said.

During last year’s budget session, Malik had emerged as one of the most vocal legislators, frequently criticising the BJP’s policies and engaging in sharp exchanges with BJP MLAs. An altercation in the Assembly premises had even led to him being manhandled, leaving him with minor injuries.

Since his election, Malik has been a consistent critic of the LG administration and the BJP, often confronting senior officials and bureaucrats over governance issues in Doda. His conduct, including heated arguments with doctors at GMC Doda and other hospitals, has drawn both support and criticism on social media.

Before his detention under PSA, Malik was also booked for allegedly using abusive language against the Doda Deputy Commissioner, with authorities claiming his actions posed a threat to public order — allegations his legal team continues to challenge in court.

AAP leaders claim that Malik’s absence has left the Doda constituency without an effective voice in the Assembly. They also allege that despite Malik requesting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally monitor welfare schemes in Doda, particularly after monsoon-related floods, no senior leader or minister visited the area.

As the budget session approaches, residents of Doda have expressed a sense of neglect. AAP leader and Malik’s close aide Raja Shakeel said the constituency feels “politically orphaned” in Malik’s absence. He alleged that the government has shown little interest in addressing the region’s issues and accused it of tacitly supporting Malik’s continued detention.

“With Mehraj Malik not allowed to raise people’s concerns in the Assembly, the voice of Doda has effectively been silenced,” Shakeel said, adding that Malik’s participation in the budget session would have ensured strong representation of public issues from the region.