Srinagar, July 28 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday apologised to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over her remarks made during a recent protest at Jantar Mantar, acknowledging that she had inadvertently omitted an important phrase while speaking to the media.
Srinagar, July 28 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday apologised to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over her remarks made during a recent protest at Jantar Mantar, acknowledging that she had inadvertently omitted an important phrase while speaking to the media.
Mufti said that while referring to Omar Abdullah’s tenure as Union Minister of State for External Affairs, she had intended to make a specific point about his defence of the security forces’ actions in Kashmir.
However, she admitted that she unintentionally left out the words, “bahana banta hai security forces ka rakhne ka,” while making the statement.
The PDP chief acknowledged that the omission altered the context of what she was trying to convey and accepted responsibility for the error.
“I apologise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for this error,” she said.
On the controversy surrounding a video clip of her Jantar Mantar remarks that went viral on social media, Mehbooba Mufti rejected claims that the footage had been manipulated or generated using artificial intelligence.
She maintained that the viral video was genuine and authentic, clarifying that the controversy arose because of the phrase she had inadvertently omitted during her interaction with reporters.
Her clarification comes amid a political controversy over her Jantar Mantar remarks, which drew sharp reactions from political circles and social media users across Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had criticised Mehbooba Mufti for her Jantar Mantar remark.
People’s Conference (PC) president and sitting MLA, Sajad Gani Lone, also criticised her for what he said was an attempt to justify the use of force in Jammu and Kashmir. PC also took out a protest march against her remarks.
Initially, the PDP tried to defend Mufti, alleging that the video showing her making these comments had been doctored through AI. But now she has tendered an apology.
–IANS
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