Jammu, Sept. 12 -- Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) President and former Minister, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, on Friday strongly condemned the slapping of the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Doda MLA Mehraj Malik. He said that PSA, which is meant to deal with criminals and anti-social elements, should never be applied to a public representative.

"No doubt, if there was any mistake or slip of the tongue while addressing a public demand, a simple FIR, complaint, or challan could have sufficed. Slapping PSA is not a solution-it only curtails democratic rights and stifles free expression. A normal legal remedy could have saved both the MLA and the administration from the ongoing controversy," Yaseen said.

He added that the move has ...