Srinagar, July 28 (KNS) : Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, saying her conditional apology over the controversial "Banta Hai" remarks is nothing but a desperate attempt at damage control after facing massive public outrage.
In a statement issued here, Inam Un Nabi said that what has shocked the people even more is that after PDP leaders repeatedly claimed the viral video was fabricated or AI-generated, Mehbooba Mufti herself admitted that the video was genuine and merely tried to explain away her remarks by calling them a "slip of the tongue." "An apology qualified with the word 'if' is no apology at all. It reflects arrogance, not remorse. Kashmiris do not need conditional regret. They deserve an unconditional acceptance of responsibility," he said.
Lambasting Mehbooba Mufti for claiming that she neither inherited power nor accumulated wealth, Inam Un Nabi said the people of Jammu and Kashmir know very well who transformed the Mufti family into one of the most powerful political dynasties in the region. "it was the people of Jammu and Kashmir who elevated Late Mufti Mohammad Syed Sahab to the office of Chief Minister. The same people entrusted Mehbooba Mufti with the same office. Instead of expressing gratitude, she now attempts to portray herself as someone who owes nothing to the people."
He said that during the PDP regime when Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba was Chief Minister, Kashmir witnessed one of the darkest periods in its recent history, with pellet victims, civilian killings, mass detentions and countless families left to suffer.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel"These tragedies cannot be dismissed as 'small mistakes'. Every mother who lost her son and every youngster whose life was shattered remembers that period. Political speeches cannot erase those painful memories."
The AIP Chief Spokesperson further said that Mehbooba Mufti's attempt to project her family as free from political privilege is equally misleading. "The people have not forgotten how her brother, who was virtually unknown even to many within the PDP, was brought from Mumbai and made a Cabinet Minister holding the Tourism portfolio."
Inam Un Nabi also demanded that PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Parra apologise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for attempting to defend the controversial remarks by attributing the viral video to Artificial Intelligence. "Instead of standing by the truth, the PDP first tried to mislead the people through the AI narrative. Now that Mehbooba Mufti herself has admitted the authenticity of the video, those who propagated that false defence owe the people an apology as well."
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are politically mature and cannot be taken for granted. "Public memory cannot be erased through carefully crafted explanations or conditional apologies. Accountability cannot be outsourced to semantics. The people will judge leaders by what they did when they were in power, not by the excuses they manufacture after losing public confidence," Inam Un Nabi added.(KNS)