"Irresponsible" statements made by people who have been in a position of power can act as a deterrent for ordinary people to fight for their rights, Omar told reporters outside his office.
A political controversy erupted after National Conference leaders shared a video of Mufti's visit to Jantar Mantar, where she allegedly drew a comparison between the treatment of protesters in Delhi and Kashmir.
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In the video shared by the NC and its leaders on social media, Mufti is heard saying that while plainclothes personnel assisting the Delhi Police in baton-charging protesters was unprecedented in the national capital, such scenes had been witnessed in Kashmir for years. She added that "there is militancy there, so it is understandable", while noting that the protesters in Delhi were unarmed and demonstrating peacefully.
Reacting to the remarks, Omar said Mufti had not gone to Jantar Mantar to raise issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir. "Why did she go there? She will have to answer that herself. But what she said there amounted to justifying the misuse of power, arrests and suppression in Kashmir on the grounds that there is militancy here," he told reporters.
Questioning her remarks, Omar asked, "In what way is it justified? Does militancy mean the law should not be enforced fairly? Does it mean children should not get justice or that people's passports should be withheld? I do not understand this logic."
He also accused Mufti of adopting different positions in Kashmir and New Delhi. "That old habit of saying one thing here and another in Delhi has not changed," he said.
Omar said Mufti should apologise for her remarks. Referring to the PDP's claim that the video had been manipulated using artificial intelligence, he rejected the explanation.
"The media from across the country was present there. Multiple videos were recorded and microphones from various media organisations are clearly visible. Calling it AI is unfortunate," he said.
He further alleged that Mufti had attempted to justify her statement instead of retracting it.
"When a former Chief Minister says it is acceptable to use force and suppress protests in Jammu and Kashmir, who will come forward to raise their voice for their rights?" Omar asked, adding that such remarks could discourage people from speaking out against injustice.