CM Omar Abdullah asks PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti to apologize for her ‘anti Kashmiri’ statement at Jantar Mantar

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, JULY 27 (STC): Taking a dig at Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that instead of calling her controversial statement at Jantar Mantar “generated by artificial intelligence (AI)”, she should have apologized to the people. He said that such statements not only justify the alleged misuse of power in Jammu and Kashmir but also harm the struggle for fundamental rights of the people.
The Chief Minister said that the statement made at Jantar Mantar is actually an attempt to justify arrests, deprivation of justice, non-issuance of passports and other harsh measures in the name of militancy.
“I am unable to understand how the presence of militancy can be a justification for depriving people of justice, withholding their passports or weakening the rule of law,” the Chief Minister said and added that when there was a strong public reaction to this statement, the PDP, through an MLA, took the stand that the said video was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is unacceptable.
“Media institutions from across the country were present at Jantar Mantar. Different news channels and newspapers recorded separate videos and Their microphones were also clearly visible. In such a situation, calling it AI is an insult to the understanding and consciousness of the people,” he said.
Referring to the previous PDP government and its decisions, the Chief Minister said that the party never apologized to the people for forming an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015 or for the events of 2016. He said, “You neither apologized for the alliance with the BJP, nor for the events of 2016, and now instead of accepting the statement of the Janata Mantra, it is being called AI.” Speaking on the demand for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah He said that such statements could also affect democratic protests in the future. He said, “If tomorrow we protest for the restoration of statehood, people may hesitate to participate in it, because such statements give the impression that suppressing the protest or taking strict measures is right. This is a matter of great concern.”
Commenting on the recent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Chief Minister said that although the decision came late, the credit for it goes not to any political party but to the students who continued their struggle.
He said, “If three thousand people are arrested, it affects about fifteen thousand families. Such measures may give temporary results, but permanent peace is possible only then. “It is only when the trust and cooperation of the people is gained.”

(Straight Talk Communications)