JAMMU: In an unprecedented move, Mehraj Malik, a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was detained on Monday under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district, officials said here.

This is the first time a sitting MLA has been held under the stringent PSA that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years, drawing condemnation from several political parties, including AAP which asserted that the action will not deter its legislator from speaking for the rights of people.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Malik is “not a threat to public safety” and using a “discredited law to detain him is wrong”.