Omar Recalls 2010, Says ‘Regret is Not a Strong Enough Word’ For Tufail Mattoo | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, addressing the Legislative Assembly, said that the events of 2010, particularly the killing of Tufail Mattoo, remain a source of deep personal regret, saying he would remember the circumstances “till my last breath”.

Addressing the House, Omar said regret was “not a strong enough word” to describe his feelings about the episode and maintained that he had never tried to suppress or hide it. He said he had consistently expressed sympathy over what happened during that period.

Turning his attention to the People’s Democratic Party, Omar questioned its response during the 2016 unrest when it was in government in alliance with the Centre. He said that at a time when people were dying, the PDP leadership had an opportunity to express sympathy and call for restraint.

“The Union Home Minister was sitting next to you. The whole press was in front of you. You could have said two words of sympathy. You could have said sorry for the circumstances that had been created. You could have said we will silence these guns,” he said.

Omar criticised what he described as the PDP’s failure to acknowledge mistakes during that period. “Sometimes it is better to remain silent. Their silence would have been better. Till today, there is not a single word of apology from them that it was a mistake,” he said.

He added that those criticising others should first reflect on their own record. “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others. First look at your own life and then look at us,” he said.