Kashmir's political scene is rarely boring. But what happened in the last few months around AAP leader Mehraj Malik took things to a whole new level. A sitting MLA, jailed under a controversial law, released after eight months, and then welcomed back by thousands of people like a rockstar returning from tour. So who exactly is Mehraj Malik, why is he trending all over Kashmir, and what happens next? Let us break it all down.
Who Is Mehraj Malik?
Mehraj Malik was born in 1988 and is an Indian politician and social worker from Jammu and Kashmir. He is not some overnight political product. His journey started quietly and grew steadily.
He joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 and ran as an independent candidate in the 2014 Assembly elections. In 2020, he won a seat in the Doda District Development Council as an independent candidate, defeating rivals by a margin of 3,511 votes in Kahara.
Then came the big moment.
In October 2024, Mehraj Malik became the first AAP member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, representing the Doda Assembly constituency. He won with a margin of over 4,000 votes, defeating BJP candidate Gajay Singh Rana. This marked a historic breakthrough for AAP in a region long dominated by the National Conference and BJP.
On 21 March 2025, Malik was appointed as State President for Aam Aadmi Party in Jammu and Kashmir. So yes, he holds both roles: elected MLA and head of the party unit in the region.
Why Was Mehraj Malik Jailed in Kashmir?
Here is where things get controversial and, frankly, very political.
On 8 September 2025, Malik was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for a period of one year on grounds of disturbing public order. The detention order was issued by the District Magistrate of Doda, Harvinder Singh. The authorities cited Malik's involvement in 18 FIRs and 16 daily diary reports between 2014 and 2025, along with a recent public confrontation with the Deputy Commissioner over the relocation of a health sub-centre and pending flood-relief payments.
Malik was arrested following a controversy over the shifting of a health centre in Doda district. He had used strong language against the district magistrate while accusing him of corruption and interfering in the shifting of the centre due to vested interests.
The PSA is a law that allows authorities to detain a person for up to two years without trial. It has historically been used against separatists. Using it against an elected MLA raised serious eyebrows across the political spectrum.
This marked the first instance of a sitting legislator being booked under the PSA in Jammu and Kashmir, drawing criticism from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, and several other political figures who described it as an attack on democratic norms.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on X: "He should NEVER have been detained under PSA; in fact, he should never have been detained at all. His detention was a gross misuse of this law and totally unjustified."
The High Court Steps In: Justice Finally Delivered
After spending eight months in detention, Mehraj Malik was released from Kathua jail following the quashing of his preventive detention under the PSA by the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
In an 88-page judgment, Justice Muhammad Yousuf Wani observed that invoking the PSA against Malik amounted to an unjustified and unconstitutional exercise of power. The court held that such use of preventive detention violated Malik's fundamental rights and that the PSA cannot be deployed as a substitute for due process.
On the nature of cases cited against Malik, the court stated they largely pertained to routine law and order issues, and that almost all the criminal cases did not justify detention under PSA.
Simply put: the court found the detention legally unsustainable. The law was misused.
Why Did Thousands of People Join AAP Leader Mehraj Malik After His Release?
This is perhaps the most talked-about moment of the week in Kashmir politics.
Before Malik even reached the stadium in Doda, people gave him floral welcomes at several places between Batote and Doda. At Doda Stadium, he addressed a gathering of thousands, criticising corruption in sections of the administration, condemning revenge politics, and asserting that his politics was centred on public welfare, not confrontation.
As the gates of Kathua jail opened to release the AAP leader, numerous people garlanded him with flowers and rallied behind him. When he arrived at his residence in Jammu, he was received by his mother and father, who hugged him amid a tearful welcome.
People did not just show up because they were asked to. They showed up because they felt his arrest was a message directed at all of them. Many residents of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban treated his release as a community victory.
Malik himself said: "It is not that they had jailed me, they had jailed the voice of the people, their aspirations and their strength."
That kind of statement connects. It resonates. And it clearly did.
Why Is Mehraj Malik Trending and Going Viral in Kashmir?
Several reasons combine to explain his viral moment.
First, he was a sitting MLA jailed under a law meant for militants and separatists. That alone made headlines.
Second, his release was celebrated publicly in a way that few politicians in J&K have experienced recently.
Third, Mehraj Malik's Instagram account (@mehrajmalik_) has 267K followers and his Facebook page has crossed 675,000 likes, with him actively being described as MLA Doda and State President of AAP Jammu and Kashmir. InstagramFacebook
His digital reach means every statement, every video, every emotional moment at the jail gate or his parent's home spreads instantly. People who had never heard of Doda started watching and sharing his clips. That is how viral works.
Which Issues Has Mehraj Malik Raised?
Malik has consistently raised ground-level issues that most politicians prefer to avoid at press conferences.
After his release, he stated that corruption-free governance, proper roads, better schools, hostels with round-the-clock services, and accountable administration are the need of the hour.
His original arrest was triggered by his fight over a health sub-centre relocation and unpaid flood-relief amounts owed to villagers. These are not dramatic issues on paper. But for families waiting for flood money and patients without a functioning health facility, these are life-or-death matters.
Malik has also pointed to unemployment as a core crisis facing Kashmir's youth, calling it the real problem beneath the surface of drug abuse.
He has also raised concerns about the shrinking political space in J&K, religious polarisation in politics, and the growing number of youth in jails connected to drug cases.
Is There Any Possibility of Mehraj Malik Becoming Kashmir's Next Chief Minister?
Honestly, it is too early to say, and anyone who gives you a definitive answer either has a crystal ball or a motive. Here is the realistic picture.
Mehraj Malik leads a party, AAP, that currently holds exactly one seat in the J&K Legislative Assembly. That is his own seat. For him to become Chief Minister, AAP would need to grow enormously in future elections.
However, Malik himself described the growing support for his party as the beginning of political change, saying major transformations often start with small movements.
He directly criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, questioning whether a government that could not secure an elected MLA's release could safeguard the future of Jammu and Kashmir.
That is the language of someone positioning himself as an alternative, not just a critic. Whether voters reward that positioning in coming elections is the real question.
Mehraj Malik's Instagram and Facebook Page
You can follow and connect with Mehraj Malik on his verified social media accounts:
His Instagram handle is @mehrajmalik_ where he has 267K followers. His bio describes him as MLA Doda and State President of AAP J&K, with a stated aim to change politics and the political system. Instagram
His Facebook page under AAPMehrajMalikk has over 675,000 likes and is listed under the politician category. His contact email listed on the page is mehrajmalik198@gmail.com. Facebook
Both accounts are active and are primary channels for updates on his political activities.
What Are Mehraj Malik's Plans After Getting Released?
Malik said he would soon resume public outreach after consultations with his team, maintaining that his focus remains on welfare-oriented change through democratic means. Kashmir Observer
He has committed to delivering better schools, hostels, proper roads, and an honest and accountable administration.
He also urged youth to join politics, which he described as the only means to bring meaningful change. He has said he plans to emphasise that governance must be rooted in empathy and that unemployment, not just drug abuse, is the real crisis facing the youth of J&K.
In short: expect him to be louder, more visible, and more deliberate in his approach going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Who is Mehraj Malik? Mehraj Malik is an Indian politician born in 1988. He is the MLA from Doda Assembly constituency and the State President of Aam Aadmi Party in Jammu and Kashmir.
Q2: Why was Mehraj Malik jailed? He was detained on 8 September 2025 under the Public Safety Act by the Doda District Magistrate, citing alleged disturbance to public order. The trigger was a public confrontation over a health sub-centre relocation and flood-relief payments.
Q3: How long did Mehraj Malik stay in jail? He spent eight months in Kathua jail before the J&K and Ladakh High Court quashed his PSA detention on 27 April 2026.
Q4: What did the High Court say about his detention? The court declared the detention legally unsustainable, saying the allegations related only to routine law and order issues and did not meet the threshold for invoking the Public Safety Act.
Q5: Where can I follow Mehraj Malik online? You can follow him on Instagram at @mehrajmalik_ and on Facebook at AAPMehrajMalikk.
Q6: Can Mehraj Malik become Chief Minister of J&K? As of now, AAP holds only one seat in the J&K Assembly. For Malik to become CM, AAP would need significant growth in future elections. He has positioned himself as a serious alternative, but the path is long.
Q7: What issues does Mehraj Malik focus on? He focuses on anti-corruption governance, youth unemployment, flood relief, healthcare access, education, honest administration, and the misuse of laws like the PSA against citizens and elected representatives.
Disclaimer : This Article Is Only For Educational Purpose.
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