Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, (DD) Former RAW chief, A.S. Dulat, responded to the controversy stirred by his recent book, denying any role of Farooq Abdullah in the abrogation of Article 370. Dulat dismissed claims that Abdullah had played any part in the August 2019 constitutional changes, calling them baseless and misrepresented.
Dulat emphasized, “Whatever is being said about Farooq Abdullah is not true. People should read the whole book; someone has taken a snippet and blown it out of proportion. All this is rubbish,” urging the public to review the book’s full content for clarity.
The controversy stemmed from earlier reports suggesting that following the 2019 constitutional changes, the Indian government had informally approached Dulat to reach out to Abdullah, who was under house arrest at the time. Excerpts from Dulat’s book mentioned that someone from Delhi asked him to speak to Abdullah with the understanding that he would not publicly oppose the move or comment on Pakistan. However, Dulat clarified that these claims were misrepresented.
Dulat also expressed respect for Farooq Abdullah, recognizing him as a significant political figure capable of bridging the gap between Delhi and Kashmir.
Regarding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Dulat expressed skepticism, stating, “Statehood won’t be given. I don’t think so, at least not for a long time.” He questioned the assurances given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, noting that despite promises, statehood had not yet been restored, despite discussions with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and promises of a swift resolution.(DD)
