Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday stepped up his criticism of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over her controversial “Kashmir ka toh banta hai” remark made at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, saying she should apologise for comments that appeared to justify the alleged misuse of power and arbitrary arrests in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah said Mufti’s remarks conveyed a dangerous message by implying that extraordinary measures against people in Jammu and Kashmir were acceptable because of militancy.
“What she said there… justifying the misuse of power, arrests and all these things by saying that because there is militancy in Kashmir, ‘it is justified’. On what basis is it justified?” Abdullah asked.
Questioning the rationale behind the statement, he said, “Does militancy mean the law should not apply here? Does militancy mean children should not get justice? Does militancy mean people’s passports should be withheld? I don’t understand what is justified about it.”
The Chief Minister said Mufti should have acknowledged her mistake after the remarks drew widespread criticism.
“It would not have diminished her stature if she had simply admitted that she had spoken in the heat of the moment and apologised,” he said, while also criticising the PDP for claiming through one of its legislators that the viral video of the remarks was AI-generated.
“The entire national media was present there. There is more than one recording. You should at least acknowledge that what you said was wrong,” Abdullah said.
Linking the controversy to the broader political climate in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah argued that such statements weaken democratic dissent and embolden excessive state action.
“When a former Chief Minister says suppressing protests through force is justified, then who among Kashmiris will come out to demand their rights?” he said. “If tomorrow we protest for statehood, people will hesitate because they will believe there is open permission for repression.”
He also accused the PDP of adopting a dual political stance, saying, “It is an old habit—one thing in Kashmir and another in Delhi.”
Referring to the recent arrests of thousands of protesters, Abdullah reiterated that excessive coercive measures would prove counterproductive in tackling militancy.
“We cannot eliminate militancy this way. To truly end militancy, it is essential to keep the people with us. Without public support, we cannot achieve the final success,” he said.
Arguing that mass detentions deepen public resentment, Abdullah said the arrest of 3,000 people would alienate “at least 15,000 people” when their families were taken into account.
“If we continue making arrests, using bulldozers and harassing young people, people will not stand with us. If we alienate so many people, how will we succeed in the fight against militancy?” he asked.
Separately, commenting on the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Abdullah said the move should have come earlier, but added, “Better late than never.”
He credited protesting students, rather than political parties, for forcing the resignation.
“Many people will claim credit for his resignation. But if anyone truly deserves the credit, it is the students who refused to move from the protest site and did not back down from their stand,” he said.
