Mehbooba Mufti apologises for Jantar Mantar remarks, cites omitted phrase
Synopsis
Mehbooba Mufti has apologised for her Jantar Mantar remarks, admitting she accidentally dropped a key phrase that changed her statement's meaning entirely. The reversal is striking: the PDP had initially claimed the viral video was AI-doctored — a defence Mufti herself has now contradicted.
Key Takeaways
Mehbooba Mufti apologised on 28 July for remarks made at a Jantar Mantar protest, citing an inadvertent omission of the phrase 'bahana banta hai security forces ka rakhne ka' .
She accepted that the omission altered the context of her statement and took full responsibility.
Mufti rejected claims that the viral video of her remarks was AI-generated or doctored, calling it genuine.
The PDP had initially alleged the video was manipulated — a position it has now reversed.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone had both criticised her remarks, with the PC organising a protest march.
People's Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday, 28 July publicly apologised to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over remarks she made at a recent protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, acknowledging that she had inadvertently left out a key phrase while speaking to reporters. The apology ends a short-lived attempt by the PDP to attribute the controversy to a doctored video.
What Mufti Said — and What She Left Out
Mufti clarified that her remarks were intended to reference Omar Abdullah's tenure as Union Minister of State for External Affairs and his defence of security forces' actions in Kashmir. However, she admitted she unintentionally omitted the words 'bahana banta hai security forces ka rakhne ka' from her statement, which she said significantly altered the meaning of what she was trying to convey.
'I apologise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for this error,' she said, accepting full responsibility for the omission.
Mufti Rejects AI-Doctoring Claims
On the viral video of her Jantar Mantar remarks that spread widely across social media, Mufti rejected any suggestion that the footage had been manipulated or generated using artificial intelligence. She maintained that the video was genuine and authentic, and attributed the controversy entirely to the missing phrase in her original statement.
Notably, the PDP had initially attempted to defend her by alleging the video was AI-doctored — a position the party has now abandoned following Mufti's direct admission of error.
Political Backlash Across J&K
The remarks triggered sharp reactions across political circles in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticised Mufti over her Jantar Mantar statement. People's Conference (PC) president and sitting MLA Sajad Gani Lone also condemned her, saying her remarks amounted to an attempt to justify the use of force in the region. The People's Conference went further, organising a protest march against her.
This is not the first time a statement by a senior PDP leader has sparked intra-political friction in the Union Territory, where trust between mainstream parties remains fragile.
What Happens Next
Whether Mufti's apology is enough to defuse the controversy remains to be seen. The episode has exposed a rift between the PDP and other mainstream regional parties, including the National Conference and the People's Conference. With the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir already under intense scrutiny, the incident is likely to reverberate through the coming weeks of legislative and public discourse.
Point of View
A hasty deflection — in this case an AI-doctoring allegation — followed by a climbdown once the deflection becomes untenable. What is more telling than the apology itself is that the PDP initially chose to attack the video's authenticity rather than clarify the statement. That sequence suggests the party misjudged both the public mood and the verifiability of the footage. For Mufti, who is trying to rebuild PDP's relevance in a post-Article 370 landscape, the episode is a self-inflicted wound at a moment when she can least afford one.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mehbooba Mufti say at Jantar Mantar that caused controversy?
Mehbooba Mufti made remarks at a Jantar Mantar protest referencing Omar Abdullah's tenure as Union Minister of State for External Affairs and his defence of security forces' actions in Kashmir. She later admitted she inadvertently omitted the phrase 'bahana banta hai security forces ka rakhne ka,' which she said changed the meaning of her statement significantly.
Why did Mehbooba Mufti apologise?
Mufti apologised because she acknowledged that an omitted phrase in her original statement altered its context and meaning. She accepted full responsibility for the error and said: 'I apologise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for this error.'
Was the viral video of Mehbooba Mufti's remarks doctored?
No. Mehbooba Mufti herself confirmed that the viral video was genuine and authentic, rejecting claims that it had been manipulated or AI-generated. This contradicts the PDP's earlier position, which had alleged the footage was doctored.
Who criticised Mehbooba Mufti over her Jantar Mantar remarks?
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticised her remarks, as did People's Conference president and MLA Sajad Gani Lone, who said the statement amounted to an attempt to justify the use of force in Jammu and Kashmir. The People's Conference also organised a protest march against her.
What is the political significance of this episode for the PDP?
The controversy is a setback for the PDP, which is attempting to rebuild its political relevance in Jammu and Kashmir. The party's initial decision to allege AI-doctoring — a claim Mufti herself contradicted — has drawn additional criticism and widened the rift between the PDP and other mainstream regional parties.
