Srinagar, April 16: Kashmir’s political landscape was rocked on Wednesday after explosive revelations by former RAW chief A.S. Dulat claimed that National Conference (NC) patriarch Farooq Abdullah privately supported the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, even as he publicly condemned it as a “betrayal.”
In his newly released book “The Chief Minister and the Spy,” Dulat recounts that days before the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. The details of that meeting have remained under wraps — until now.
“We would have helped (pass the proposal). Why were we not taken into confidence?” Dulat quotes Abdullah as saying, suggesting a gap between his public posturing and private conversations with New Delhi.
The former spymaster, known for his deep ties in Kashmir, portrays Abdullah as a complex figure — pragmatic, proud, and deeply invested in Kashmir’s autonomy, yet ultimately navigated by Delhi to serve national interests.
NC Calls It Fictional, Contradictory
The National Conference hit back swiftly. MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq, who is also JKNC’s Chief Spokesperson rejected Dulat’s claims as “contradictory” and “an attempt to create controversy.”
“If Farooq Sahib supported the abrogation, why was he jailed for seven months?” asked Sadiq. He added that it was only after Abdullah’s release that he forged the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a political front demanding the restoration of Kashmir’s special status.
Sadiq also dismissed Dulat’s earlier comments about PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as “vulgar” and part of a pattern to stay relevant.
PDP’s Waheed Parra: “Theatre of Betrayal”
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Pulwama Waheed ur Rehman Parra was more scathing. He accused the NC of staging outrage in public while silently facilitating Delhi’s plans.
“Dulat’s revelations rip off the last remaining mask,” Parra said. “The fiery speeches, the outrage — it was all theatre. Generation after generation, NC has built its fortunes on the back of our dispossession.”
According to Parra, the NC has long maintained a façade of resistance, while allowing Article 370 to be hollowed out piece by piece.
Sajad Lone: “Dulat is Farooq’s Alter Ego”
People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Lone, often outspoken in his criticism of the NC, lent credibility to Dulat’s version.
“Coming from Dulat sahib makes this revelation very credible. He is Farooq sahib’s closest ally — virtually his alter ego,” Lone tweeted.
Taking a jibe at what he calls the “Uncles and Aunties Brigade” of Delhi, Lone said NC leaders privately maintain warm ties with BJP while enacting a drama of dissent in public.
He even speculated on the contents of the 2019 meeting: “Humey roney deejiye, aap apna kaam karein, hum aap ke saath hain,” imagining Farooq’s words to the PM. “It now seems 2024 was a prize for services rendered in 2019 — of course, in national interest,” he added, alluding to the NC’s resurgence in recent electoral politics.
Dulat’s book, beyond its headline-grabbing claims, offers a deeper introspection into Kashmir’s political theatre. It covers his decades-long engagement with Kashmir, offering rare insights into behind-the-scenes negotiations, betrayals, and personal equations between Delhi and Kashmir’s top political figures. The NC has not yet issued a statement from Farooq Abdullah himself.
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