During her visit to Jantar Mantar on the sidelines of the Cockroach Janata Party-led protest last week, Mufti, while commenting on the lathicharge and use of pellet guns against protesting students, had said this is the first time we have witnessed scenes like this in the capital. (@MehboobaMufti/X)Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Monday that the comments made by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti in New Delhi were regrettable and accused her of justifying the use of violence against the people of J&K.During her visit to Jantar Mantar on the sidelines of the Cockroach Janata Party-led protest last week, Mufti, while commenting on the lathicharge and use of pellet guns against protesting students, had said this is the first time we have witnessed scenes like this in the capital.“We have seen this in Kashmir for many years, but there is militancy in Kashmir, uska banta hai, that there are militants on one side and security forces on the other. The students here are unarmed and non-violent,” she said.The former chief minister’s “banta hai” remark faced criticism from the ruling National Conference. On Monday, Omar also pointed out that Mufti did not visit Jantar Mantar when she was invited to participate in the NC’s march for statehood on July 20. However, “she chose to go to Delhi and justify the use of force and arbitrary arrests in J&K”.“If there is militancy here, should the rule of law not apply? Should people’s passports be impounded? I don’t understand this ‘banta hai’,” he said.The PDP had, in turn, argued that the video was “doctored” and her comments taken out of context. However, speaking to reporters on Monday, the chief minister said:“If Mufti had, at some point, realised that what she said was not taken well by the people, she could have apologised. This would not diminish her stature,” he alleged.Story continues below this adInstead, Omar alleged, “they chose to rub salt in the wound, with one of her MLAs suggesting that this video is (edited through) AI.“Are we that foolish, that the media of the whole country was there? You can see the mics of multiple channels in that video. They doubt the intelligence of the people here. It is regrettable,” he said.A former chief minister seems to be justifying the use of force to quell protests by the people. “After this, which Kashmiri will come to fight for their rights?” he said.Emphasising that Mufti should accept that what she said was wrong, Omar said: “She has never apologised to the people for their alliance with the BJP in 2015. She has never expressed regret over the violence perpetrated during the turmoil of 2016, and now, she has said ‘ye toh banta hai’.”Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More