Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday apologised for her “banta hai” remarks at Jantar Mantar.
Mehbooba said that she actually wanted to say that “bahana banta hai” (militancy becomes an excuse/pretext for use of force by security forces during Kashmir protests) instead of “banta hai”.
“Today I would say that the things I said (in Delhi), it was not a fake video but the word I wanted to say was ‘bahana banta hai’ but in a slip (of tongue, I said banta hai) because I was talking to many people and wrong meaning was extracted from that. People have given me their love and respect and they trust me a lot,” she said in a press conference in Srinagar.
“If, due to my incomplete utterances, my people were hurt, then I seek my apology from them,” she added.
At Jantar Mantar last week, Mehbooba had condemned the police action in Delhi and said: “It is not just Delhi police but their dangayis (rioters) were with them, using police batons and uniforms without name badges, helping Delhi police in raining lathis”.
“We have seen this spectacle for the first time (in Delhi). We have seen it in Kashmir, for the last many years. There is militancy there and it is understandable (wahan militancy hai, uska ek banta hai). There are militants on one side and security forces on the other. But, here, there are no militants and they have no guns or stones in their hands,” she had said.
{{/usCountry}}“We have seen this spectacle for the first time (in Delhi). We have seen it in Kashmir, for the last many years. There is militancy there and it is understandable (wahan militancy hai, uska ek banta hai). There are militants on one side and security forces on the other. But, here, there are no militants and they have no guns or stones in their hands,” she had said.
{{/usCountry}}The statement had stirred a row in Kashmir with leaders demanding apologies from her over the remark.
On Monday, CM Omar Abdullah had lashed out at Mufti for her statement saying she justified injustices in Kashmir under the name of militancy. Omar said Mehbooba should apologise to the people of Kashmir.
Mehbooba said that she went to Delhi on the invitation of Kashmiri youth. “I reached there and gave my speech. I said that today the whole country has become Jammu and Kashmir. After my speech there, many people came asking me for bytes. In one of the bytes where I talked about militancy, I wanted to say ‘bahana banta hai’ (becomes an excuse/pretext) but in haste I said ‘banta hai (understandable)’. I thought I said what I intended. But they (NC and other parties) raked up this so much,” she said.
The NC, however, slammed Mufti for her justification. “It is not an apology. It is a justification. It should be an unconditional apology. At the same time Waheed Parra should apologise to people for lying about AI & to JKNC for accusing us of manipulating her video,” an NC spokesperson said.
NC’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq: “There is no ‘if’ or ‘but’ here. People across J&K were appalled by your statement. The only appropriate response is a clear and unconditional apology to every Kashmiri who was hurt, especially the victims of pellet injuries.”
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah, while reacting to Mehbooba’s apology, said “Did she apologise? Did she use the word ‘mafi’. There is a difference between ‘muazrat(apology or express regret in a toned down manner’ and ‘mafi (apologise or seek forgiveness)’. She said if anybody was hurt by my utterances...when you are making it conditional that means you are not apologising. And what about those people who tried to suppress it and spread a lie. One is an MLA and whether he should continue as an MLA”.
On the other hand, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi targeted PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, saying her conditional apology over the controversial the remarks is nothing but a desperate attempt at damage control after facing massive public outrage. “An apology qualified with the word ‘if’ is no apology at all. It reflects arrogance, not remorse,” he said
Mufti calls for UT-wide protests on August 5
Mufti called for a statewide protest on August 05 across all district headquarters in Jammu & Kashmir, demanding restoration of Article 370. “On August 5 , 2019, everything was snatched away from us. On August 5, all our people at their respective districts will sit in peaceful demonstration for the resolution of Kashmir issue, restoration of Article 370 and 35 A,” said Mehbooba Mufti on the 27th foundation day of the PDP in Srinagar in a press conference.