Mehbooba should have apologised instead of calling video AI-generated: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti should have apologised for her controversial remarks at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar instead of allowing party leaders to dismiss it as an AI-generated video.

Reacting to the row triggered by Mehbooba’s comments on police action against protesters in Delhi and Kashmir, Omar said her remarks appeared to justify the denial of rights to people in Jammu and Kashmir because of militancy.

“She didn’t go to Jantar Mantar for Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever was said there—about the use of force, arrests and all these things—was justified by saying that because there is militancy in Kashmir, ‘Yahan banta hai’ (it is acceptable here). In what way is it justified?” Omar told reporters.

Questioning the logic behind the remarks, the Chief Minister said, “Is it because there is militancy here that the law should not be enforced? If there is militancy, should children not get justice Should people’s passports be stopped? I did not understand.”

The controversy erupted after Mehbooba Mufti joined a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar on July 24 and criticised police action against protesters in Delhi while drawing a distinction with Kashmir, saying such action was “understandable” in the Valley because of the prevailing militancy.

The video drew widespread criticism on social media, with opponents accusing her of justifying harsher treatment of Kashmiris.

Omar alleged that the PDP chief had tried to “please some people” by adopting different positions in Delhi and Kashmir.

“That old habit—one thing here and another thing in Delhi—has not gone,” he said.

The Chief Minister said Mehbooba should have admitted her mistake once it became clear that her remarks had hurt public sentiment.

“When it became clear that what was said was wrong and people did not accept it, she should have apologised. It would not reduce her stature. She could simply have said, ‘I spoke emotionally, what I said was wrong and I apologise. Please forgive me,’ Omar said.

Instead, he alleged, the PDP had “added salt to the wounds” by claiming the widely circulated video was fabricated using artificial intelligence.

“One of their MLAs said this was AI. Are we so foolish? The entire country’s media was there. There were microphones and cameras visible. Not one but several videos were recorded. And now you say it is AI. This is a very sad thing. Whatever was said was not right. At least accept it,” he said.

Omar also referred to the PDP’s alliance with the BJP in 2015 and the 2016 unrest, accusing the party of never expressing regret over those decisions.

“You never apologised for the alliance with the BJP in 2015. You never expressed regret for what happened in 2016. You kept trying to justify those decisions. And now again you are saying ‘yeh banta hai’,” he said.

The Chief Minister argued that such remarks could discourage people from peacefully protesting for their rights in the future.

“When the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir says it is acceptable to use force here and suppress people’s protests, then who will come out to fight for their rights? If tomorrow we protest for statehood, people will say the door has already been opened for suppression,” Omar said.

He further remarked, “If tomorrow a bulldozer comes to our house, Mehbooba ji will say, ‘yeh banta hai.’ It is a matter of regret. It would have been better had she not gone to Jantar Mantar. If she had to say these things there, she should have stayed at home.”

When asked about the widespread detentions after the killing of a police man, Omar said such actions only alienate the population.

“We will not be able to end militancy with this. It is necessary to keep people together to defeat militancy in the right way,” he said.

The Chief Minister said every arrest affects entire families, deepening resentment. “If 2,500-3,000 people have been arrested and each has a family of five, then at least 15,000 people have been alienated,” he said.

He targeted PDP chief Mehbooba, alleging that by suggesting such actions were “justified” in Kashmir, she had weakened criticism of the crackdown.”

Reacting to the resignation of union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday, Omar Abdullah said it should have come much earlier, but added, “Better late than never.”

He said the credit for forcing the resignation belonged to the protesting students rather than political parties.