"Cheap Stunts": Farooq Abdullah On Ex-RAW Chief's Article 370 Claim

The explosive claims of former chief of Research And Analysis Wing, AS Dulat, has sparked a huge political row in Jammu and Kashmir. In the book "The Chief Minister And The Spy", Mr Dulat claimed that Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had privately expressed support for the scrapping of Article 370 despite his public opposition to it. Mr Abdullah and his party have issued vehement denials -- the National Conference patriarch saying it was a "cheap trick" of Mr Dulat to sell his book, which is expected to be released on April 18.  

The Constitution's Article 370 gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir its special status.

Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah -- the current Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir -- had been the prime movers for the formation of Gupkaar alliance to seek the restoration of Article 370 and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. 

To this end, Abdullah Senior had joined hands with all opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including his political arch-rival, Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party or the PDP.

In his book, however, Mr Dulat quoted Mr Abdullah as telling him, "We would have helped (pass the proposal). Why were we not taken into confidence?" 

The claim was backed by some suggestive passages. 

Days before the scrapping of Article 370, The Abdullahs had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. "What transpired...nobody will ever know," Mr Dulat wrote.

After the passage of the bill, the Abdullahs were detained for nearly seven months. "They (government) wanted him to accept the new reality," the author commented. 

What Farooq Abdullah said

Abdullah Senior has responded angrily. The 84-year-old said it was a "figment of imagination" of Mr Dulat, and accused him of "cheap stunts" to boost the sales of his coming book.

Mr Abdullah said he and his son had been put under arrest for several months after the scrapping of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. "We were detained because our stand against the abrogation of special status was well-known," he said, pointing out the initiative he took to build Gupkar alliance.

"The claim in the book that the National Conference was planning to pass a resolution on the abrogation of the special status is merely a figment of the imagination of the author who claims to be my friend," Mr Abdullah said.

"A benchmark of common sense should have been adopted by the author while penning the so-called memoirs. He should have remembered that there was no assembly in 2018," Mr Abdullah pointed. He also said had the assembly been in session too, he would have never considered passing such a resolution.

"The author claims that Abdullah would always listen to his advice, which is yet another example of underestimating me. I am a man of my own mind, and I only decide. I am not anyone's puppet," he asserted.

Uproar in Valley

Mr Dulat's claims have raised a storm of protests and condemnation in Kashmir Valley. 

"Dullat sahib (sic) has revealed in his upcoming book that Farooq Sahib privately supported the abrogation of Article 370. 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," posted People's Conference chief Sajjad Lone on X, formerly Twitter. 

"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," posted PDP's Iltija Mufti. 

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