Spymaster Dulat drops a bombshell; Abdullah scrambles for cover

Dulat’s book ‘The Chief Minister and The Spy’ sparks political storm

After completing six months in office as head of the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir when Omar Abdullah was looking forward to consolidating his grip and pressuring the Centre government to fulfill its promise of granting a ‘statehood‘ to Jammu and Kashmir, the top brass of the National Conference has been caught off guard by none other than former RAW chief A S Dulat, a close acquaintance of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and a well-wisher of Omar Abdullah.

In his latest book titled ‘The Chief Minister and the Spy’, the former spymaster has dropped a bombshell, claiming that Dr. Farooq Abdullah had privately expressed support for the scrapping of Article 370 despite his public opposition to it.

In his book, Dulat has quoted Dr. Abdullah as telling him (privately), “We would have helped (pass the proposal). Why were we not taken into confidence?”

The sensational claim made by A S Dulat has already created a flutter in the regional politics of Jammu and Kashmir.

Before the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status on August 5, 2019, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, along with Omar Abdullah and others, had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 4, 2019.

Now, Dulat’s book, scheduled to be launched on April 18, has provided enough fodder for the leaders of the opposition parties to corner the top brass of the National Conference on the issue of the abrogation of Article 370.

Feeling the heat of the allegations, the ruling party has fielded all its spokespersons to launch a damage control exercise.

The timing of the book launch has further compounded the miseries of the ruling party as it is already facing a rebellion within the party on a variety of issues concerning the local masses and its core ideology.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah also came out in the open and accused Dulat of resorting to “cheap stunts” ahead of the launch of his book to boost sales.

Dr. Abdullah also dismissed Dulat’s claims that the National Conference (NC) would have “helped” pass the proposal to abrogate the special status of the erstwhile state had it been taken into confidence.

Labeling the book merely a “figment of imagination” of the author, Dr. Abdullah pointed out that both he and his son, Omar Abdullah, had been put under arrest for several months at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. “We were detained because our stand against the abrogation of special status was well-known”.

He said that he had taken the initiative to bring together all major political forces in Jammu and Kashmir and formed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a coalition of political parties to defend the special status of the state.

“The claim in the book that the National Conference was planning to pass a resolution on the abrogation of the special status is merely a figment of the imagination of the author who claims to be my friend,” Abdullah said.

Answering another question whether he had the opportunity to review the book, the NC president remarked, “It is full of inaccuracies that, after a while, I thought I was reading fiction and left it.”

Regarding Dulat’s claim that the NC wanted closer relations with the BJP, Dr. Abdullah strongly denied it.

“Dulat’s claim that the National Conference wanted to get close to the BJP is an absolute lie as I am not the one who will patch up with a party that is out and out to destroy my party.”

Reacting to the claims made by A S Dulat in his book, Peoples Conference Chief Sajad Lone wrote on X: “…Coming from Dullat sahib makes this revelation very credible. Dullat sahib is the closest ally and friend of Farooq sahib. Virtually his alter ego. Incidentally, Dullat sahib is the famed Uncle of the infamous Uncles and Aunties Brigade of Delhi.”

Dullat sahib has revealed in his upcoming book that Farooq Sahib privately supported the abrogation of Article 370.

Coming from Dullat sahib makes this revelation very credible. Dullat sahib is the closest ally of and friend of Farooq sahib. Virtually his alter ego.…

— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) April 16, 2025

He said that the NC will deny it. “Call it yet another conspiracy against NC. They have perfected playing the victim card. Uncle and Aunties will take cognisance of my tweet and other such tweets and implore upon BJP to teach such tweeters a lesson. Out here, their MLAs will privately visit LOP Sunil Sharma and tell him that they are brothers separated at the Kumbh Mela. That the theatre they enact in the Assembly and outside the Assembly is in the national interest.”

Lone said ‘personally’, he was not surprised at this revelation. “The August 4, 2019, meeting of CM sahib and Farooq sahib with the PM was never a mystery for me. I can visualise Farooq sahib saying — “Humey roney deejiye — Aap apna kaam karein — hum aap kay Saath hain” – It now seems 2024 was a prize for services rendered in 2019. Of course, in national interest,” he wrote further.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Iltija Mufti said that it is clear that Farooq Abdullah chose to stay in Kashmir instead of the Parliament to help normalize gutting of J&K’s constitution & subsequent betrayal.

Dulat sahab an ardent Abdullah supporter has shared how Farooq sahab agreed with Delhi’s illegal move of abrogating Article 370. There were already doubts about what transpired between the Abdullahs & PM days before J&Ks special status was revoked. With this it’s clear that… pic.twitter.com/46O9IXZ2xT

— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) April 16, 2025

“Dulat sahab, an ardent Abdullah supporter, has shared how Farooq sahab agreed with Delhi’s illegal move of abrogating Article 370. There were already doubts about what transpired between the Abdullahs & PM days before J&K’s special status was revoked. With this, it’s clear that Farooq sahab chose to stay in Kashmir instead of the Parliament to help normalize gutting of J&K’s constitution & subsequent betrayal,” she wrote on X.

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