Srinagar: With the revelation of Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief A S Dulat spurring a political storm in Kashmir, the ruling National Conference on Thursday hit out at the spymaster for levelling ‘baseless’ allegations against their party chief Farooq Abdullah.
In his new book ‘The Chief Minister and the Spy’ to be released on Friday in New Delhi, Dulat has made a startling disclosure that Abdullah privately backed the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. This is contrary to his vociferous public stand against the abrogation and downgrading of the erstwhile state into two union territories.
In a joint statement from NC’s rank and file, they denounced the Dulat’s disclosure terming it as a ‘desperate attempt to gain cheap publicity for the book’. The book published by Juggernaut is scheduled to be released on Friday in New Delhi with Abdullahs among the invitees for the event.
“Farooq Abdullah is a symbol of democratic resistance against the unilateral decisions made by the centre on August 5, 2019. He was the driving force behind the formation of the PAGD in response to these decisions,” said the NC leaders.
The Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a grouping of mainstream political parties was set up to demand revocation of abrogation of Article 370 and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. But it became ineffective after several parties quit it.
The leaders pointed out that Dulat's accusations are baseless, especially considering his previous allegations against Peoples Democratic Party patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The PDP had denied the allegations at that time.
In his maiden book in 2015 ‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years’ co-authored by the former spymaster alongside Aditya Sinha said Sayeed loved his whisky and was nicknamed ‘Mufti Whisky’. He had even recalled how he would always insist on ‘one more’ even after a drink.
“How can PDP trust his current claims when his past statements have been refuted by them? It is clear that Dulat's motives are questionable,” they added.
In Jammu, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that if PDP president Mehbooba Mufti believes Dulat, then she should accept the comments about her father as true as well. He accused Dulat of distorting facts to boost book sales saying, “When we have friends like this, then we don't need any enemies”.
The NC leader highlighted the contribution of Farooq Abdullah saying he stood against adversity including dismissal of his government in 1984 and his house arrest multiple times after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. They said that the NC had warned the PDP against forging an alliance with the BJP, saying it laid the ground for the erosion of the region's autonomy.
“People of Kashmir are well aware of who truly stands up for their rights. Dulat's attempts to smear Farooq Abdullah's reputation have been debunked, leaving no room for the PDP and other parties to spread false narratives. Even the author had retracted from what is being peddled on social media platforms,” they said.
