Former RAW chief A S Dulat has claimed that Farooq Abdullah privately supported the Article 370 move of the Centre, even though he and his National Conference party dubbed the abrogation as a betrayal.
“We would have helped (pass the proposal). Why were we not taken into confidence?” Farooq Abdullah asked Dulat, according to the book, published by Juggernaut.
Notably, Farooq Abdullah and Omar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi just days before the abrogation. “What transpired…nobody will ever know,” Dulat writes in the book, as per Hindustan Times.
After the abrogation, Abdullah was detained for seven months. During this period, Delhi discreetly probed his stance. “They wanted him to accept the new reality,” Dulat notes.
Reacting to the news, MLA Handwara and Peoples Conference Chief Sajad Lone wrote on X: “…Coming from Dullat sahib makes this revelation very credible. Dullat sahib is the closest ally of and friend of Farooq sahib. Virtually his alter ego. Incidentally Dullat sahib is the famed Uncle of the infamous Uncles and Aunties Brigade of Delhi.”
He said that the NC will deny it. “Call it yet another conspiracy against NC. They have perfected playing the victim card. Uncle and Aunties will take cognisance of my tweet and other such tweets and implore upon BJP to teach such tweeters a lesson. Out here, their MLAs will privately visit LOP Sunil Sharma and tell him that they are brothers separated at the Kumbh Mela. That the theatre they enact in Assembly and outside assembly is in national interest.”
Lone said ‘personally’, he was not surprised at this revelation. “The August 4 2019 meeting of CM sahib and Farooq sahib with the PM was never a mystery for me. I can visualise Farooq sahib saying — Humey roney deejiye— Aap apna kaam karein— hum aap kay Saath hain—-It now seems 2024 was a prize for services rendered in 2019. Of course in national interest,” he wrote further.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Iltija Mufti said that it is clear that Farooq Abdullah chose to stay in Kashmir instead of the Parliament to help normalise gutting of J&K’s constitution & subsequent betrayal.
“Dulat sahab an ardent Abdullah supporter has shared how Farooq sahab agreed with Delhi’s illegal move of abrogating Article 370. There were already doubts about what transpired between the Abdullahs & PM days before J&Ks special status was revoked. With this it’s clear that Farooq sahab chose to stay in Kashmir instead of the Parliament to help normalise gutting of J&Ks constitution & subsequent betrayal,” she wrote on X.
