Abdullah has dismissed Dulat’s claims that he had “privately backed” the abrogation of Article 370 as a “cheap stunt” to boost the sales of the top spy’s forthcoming memoir
Former RAW chief A S Dulat on Friday vehemently refuted claims suggesting that former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah privately supported the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, dismissing those as “absolute nonsense”.
Speaking at the launch of his book titled ‘The Chief Minister and the Spy’ here, he addressed the controversy that erupted following media reports that Abdullah had “privately” suggested that he would have helped in the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 had he been taken into confidence.
Dulat asserted that “there was not a single Kashmiri who spoke in favour of the abrogation.”
He cited former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s description of the move as a “monumental blunder,” emphasising the widespread opposition within the region.
Dulat, the former head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the external intelligence agency of the country, detailed his meeting with Abdullah following his release from detention in February 2020.
“I could barely speak to him, but what he said was that despite supporting India and always siding with the idea of India, why lock his family up? If they had to do this (arrest), why did they not take them (Abdullahs) into confidence?” Dulat said, clarifying that Abdullah’s concern was primarily regarding the post-abrogation detentions.
Addressing a “misrepresented” news article, Dulat acknowledged it caused him concern initially, but “I decided to sleep over it and hoped that everyone would form an opinion after reading the entire book.”
Dulat also emphasised the necessity of improving relations with Pakistan, stating, “We need to move on and we need to move on with Pakistan. I do not know how many people will agree with me, but I have said this umpteen times, and I will continue to say that we must move on with Pakistan.”
Dulat recalled Abdullah’s frequent saying, “Zindagi zindadili ka naam hai, murde kya jiya karte hain (Life is about living to the fullest, how can the dead live)” and hoped that Abdullah would change his mind after reading the entire book.
Dulat also went on to praise Abdullah as one of the tallest leaders of the country and said, “he never failed India, but there have been several times that he has been let down”.
The book was released by Salma Ansari, wife of former Vice President Hamid Ansari. It was scheduled to be released by former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, however, he announced on Friday morning that he would skip the event due to a political storm over certain parts of the book concerning Abdullah.
Abdullah has dismissed Dulat’s claims that he had “privately backed” the abrogation of Article 370 as a “cheap stunt” to boost the sales of the top spy’s forthcoming memoir.
He recounted a poignant February 2020 meeting: “What transpired between Dr. Farooq and me was that he couldn’t fathom why, after being with India all his life—his family, his father, everybody—they had to lock him up. That was the crux of it. So he said, “If they had to do this, why couldn’t they take us into confidence?” That’s the crux of the whole thing.”
Dulat blamed media sensationalism, claiming that The Hindustan Times story wrecked everything. ”As I said, I don’t know who started this deliberately—somebody did, obviously—because that first story in Hindustan Times wrecked everything. It rattled everyone, and I think it probably shook Dr. Sahab too. I don’t know what frame of mind he’s in, but obviously, it disturbed him. I can’t say who is responsible. It’s very difficult to say, and I don’t want to name names here because I think this is a happy occasion and ought to end happily. But yes, somebody was responsible—I don’t know who.”
The ex-spy revealed how Kashmir became his life’s work. “In 1988, I thought it was a holiday posting. By 1989, bombs were exploding. That winter, everyone fled – we lost four officers in weeks. Jagmohan had me removed, calling me ‘Farooq’s man.’ But Kashmir never left me.”
He named three figures, who targeted him: “Jagmohan, Mufti Sayeed, and Arun Nehru – they wanted me out.”
Reflecting on the insurgency’s origins, Dulat said: “We wasted a chance in 1989-90. The JKLF boys didn’t understand ‘Azadi.’ Pakistan’s ISI exploited them – General Durrani told me even they were surprised by the militancy’s spread.”
On the Pandit exodus, Dulat said that then Governor Jagmohan should not be blamed for the exodus of Pandits however he was happy about it. “I was there when it started. A prominent Kashmiri Pandit (quoted in my book) came to me desperately, saying, “We have to go.” There was so much fear—especially after Judge Ganju was killed on Hari Singh High Street. Nobody came for hours to retrieve his body—he bled to death. A lot of blame is put on Jagmohan—but I don’t think he was responsible for the exodus. He was happy with it because if Pandits stayed, more would’ve been killed, and he’d have gotten the blame.”
Recounting the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, Dulat revealed during the book launch that Farooq Abdullah [then Chief Minister] theatrically threatened to resign when Delhi demanded prisoner releases. “We went to Governor Saxena at 10 PM – he served Black Label and said to Dr Farooq, ‘You’re a big man, don’t resign.’ Farooq relented,” claimed Dulat.
Former CJI TS Thakur recuses from Dulat’s Book Launch
New Delhi, Apr 18: Former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur has decided to skip former R&AW chief A S Dulat’s book release function, citing the political storm over certain parts of the book concerning National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.
The book, “The Chief Minister and The Spy” was scheduled to be released later Friday by Justice (Retd) Thakur.
This comes a day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in Jammu that his father and veteran politician Farooq Abdullah will not be attending the book release function.
Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday dismissed Dulat’s claims that he had “privately backed” the abrogation of Article 370 as a “cheap stunt” to boost the sales of the top spy’s forthcoming memoir.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5, 2019, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories.
In his response to Dulat’s invitation, Justice (Retd) Thakur said, “While I had accepted your kind invitation to participate in the release function, I have since yesterday (Wednesday) seen a political storm brewing in the print and electronic media for certain parts of your book especially those attributing certain statements to (Farooq) Abdullah whom you admire and treat as a valued friend.” The ex-CJI said Farooq Abdullah has also publicly “disowned, if not denounced” the statements attributed to him.
“In the circumstances, you would kindly appreciate that the raging controversy and its political overtones would be an embarrassment for me which I would like to avoid not only on account of my long and cordial association with the Abdullah family but also because as a totally apolitical person I would not like to be seen promoting or endorsing a book which is being disowned by the very person about whom the same has been written,” Justice Thakur (retd) said.
The former chief justice said besides, Farooq Abdullah, who was supposed to be sharing the dais with journalist Vir Sanghvi for a discussion on the book, may also not be doing so.
“I am acutely conscious of the fact that my recusal on the eve of the launch would inconvenience and force you to look for a substitute but given the situation in which I am placed, you will forgive me for the discomfiture that it may cause to you or the publisher of the book,” he said.
