Avinash Azad
In a sharp and emotional rebuttal, National Conference patron and former J&K Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah has categorically dismissed former RAW chief A.S. Dulat’s recent claims that he was privately willing to support the abrogation of Article 370.
In an interview with The Wire, Dr. Abdullah said that the assertions made in Dulat’s book The Chief Minister and the Spy are “absolutely false,” “deeply misleading,” and “an insult to truth and friendship.”
“He calls me a friend, but no friend writes such lies,” said Abdullah, visibly agitated by what he described as “factual errors and fabrications” in the book. “Dulat sahib has written that I was ready to go with the BJP and assist in the abrogation of Article 370. This is a complete lie. Why would we go with the BJP when we were sent to jail the very day 370 was abrogated?”
“We Were in Jail, Not in Power”
Dr. Abdullah recalled the events of August 2019 when the central government revoked Jammu & Kashmir’s special constitutional status. “When Article 370 was abrogated, I was under arrest. The Home Minister said in Parliament that I was free. But I had to appear before the media to say I was not. That very night, I was detained under PSA,” he said. “If I had betrayed Article 370, why would the Assembly have passed it with a two-thirds majority when I was Chief Minister?”
Dulat’s interpretation of his willingness to “help make the process smoother” was strongly countered. “Helping make it smooth? How could I help smoothen something I didn’t know was happening? There was no hint from Delhi. When I met the Prime Minister, I even asked if there was a war coming with Pakistan because of the heavy troop deployment. He remained silent. Not a word about Article 370.”
Disputing Claims of Political Consultation
Abdullah also rejected claims that he consulted Dulat on ministerial appointments in 1996 or took political advice from him during his tenure. “He writes that I asked him how many ministers I should appoint. If I had really asked that, why did I appoint 25 ministers, the full quota? The Chief Minister consults only his Cabinet — not former intelligence officers.”
“He writes again and again that I consulted him on everything. That’s not how governments work. A Chief Minister does not report to anyone except the Cabinet. These claims are ridiculous.”
Gupkar Alliance and the Betrayal Narrative
Responding to the notion that he could have facilitated the BJP’s Article 370 move, Dr. Abdullah pointed to the formation of the Gupkar Alliance. “If we were willing participants, why did we form an alliance to resist the abrogation? Why did we stand united even after being jailed and confined for months?” “Those who left the alliance—you can see their political fate today,” he added. “We stayed strong, and we still stand firm in defense of the Constitution.”
“A Book to Please the BJP?”
Dr. Abdullah questioned Dulat’s motives, suggesting the book was either a commercial ploy or an attempt to curry favor with the BJP. “Either he wanted to sell books or win the approval of the ruling party. Maybe he wants to rebuild a connection with Delhi. After all, his ties with them had been broken when they sent a special plane to fly me to Delhi despite his objections.” As for the possibility of reconciliation, Dr. Abdullah was firm: “A true friend doesn’t publish lies. This book is filled with distortions, and I reject them outright.”
Editor’s Note: The Chief Minister and the Spy, written by A.S. Dulat, former head of India’s external intelligence agency, offers his personal recollections of political dynamics in Kashmir. Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s strong rebuttal brings the spotlight back on the contested narratives around the abrogation of Article 370, with both political and personal histories now in public debate.
