Atiya Mujeeb
Srinagar, July 28: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday issued an apology over the controversy surrounding her remarks made during the Jantar Mantar protest, saying that an incomplete statement had led to confusion and hurt the sentiments of many people in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mehbooba said she had mistakenly left out a key part of her statement while responding to questions from reporters. She explained that the missing words changed the intended meaning of her remarks and accepted full responsibility for the error.
She also dismissed speculation that the widely circulated video of her speech had been manipulated through artificial intelligence or editing. According to her, the clip is genuine, and the misunderstanding arose solely because she failed to complete her statement while speaking.
Expressing regret, the former Chief Minister said she never intended to offend the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She said their trust has always been her biggest strength and that she was sincerely sorry if her comments had caused any pain or disappointment.
Mehbooba maintained that throughout her political career she has consistently worked for the interests of the people of the region and has never pursued public life for personal gain. She added that she would continue raising issues concerning the rights, dignity and welfare of the people despite political challenges and personal hardships faced by her family in recent years.
The PDP leader further alleged that her political rivals had used the controversy to misrepresent her views for political advantage by presenting only part of her statement without its intended context.
The controversy erupted after her comments at the Jantar Mantar protest against the use of force on students in Delhi. During her address, she drew a comparison with the situation in Kashmir, but the omission of a crucial phrase during her interaction with the media led to widespread criticism and multiple interpretations of her remarks. She later clarified that her intention had been misunderstood because the statement was incomplete.
