‘Was In Jail When Article 370 Was Abrogated’: Farooq Abdullah Rubbishes Ex-RAW Chief’s Book Claim
Last Updated:
In his new book ‘The Chief Minister and The Spy’, Dulat claims that Abdullah privately backed the Centre’s move to scrap Article 370
Farooq Abdullah backed Article 370 move, claims Dulat’s book (PTI Image)
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday firmly rejected former RAW chief AS Dulat’s claim that he supported the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, calling it “completely wrong” and stating that he was in jail when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Responding to Dulat’s new book ‘The Chief Minister and The Spy‘, Abdullah expressed disappointment and said the book was filled with inaccuracies, especially in how Dulat portrayed him.
“Dulat sahab’s book is full of so many inaccuracies, I can’t even begin to describe them. It’s unfortunate — if he really considers me a friend, then he wouldn’t have written such things. In the book, he claims I asked him whom to make CM when I formed the government in 1996 — that’s completely false,” Abdullah told PTI.
VIDEO | Srinagar: Reacting to the remarks made in former RAW chief AS Dulat’s latest book ‘The CM and the Spy’, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said:“Dulat sahab’s book is full of so many inaccuracies, I can’t even begin to describe them. It’s unfortunate — if he… pic.twitter.com/AoT5CDDl1x
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 16, 2025
In the book, Dulat claims that Abdullah privately supported the Centre’s move to scrap Article 370, despite publicly opposing it.
ALSO READ: ‘Never Trusted Dulat’: Farooq Abdullah’s Daughter Slams Ex-RAW Chief Over Article 370 Claims
Opinions Divided Over Dulat’s Book Claim
When Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated in August 2019 by the Narendra Modi-led central government, Abdullah has repeatedly voiced his opposition and consistently made his stand clear through public speeches and media interactions.
The claim made in Dulat’s new book has also drawn sharp criticism—especially from within the National Conference. Dulat, a close associate of Abdullah, faced a fierce backlash from several NC leaders.
National Conference spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq dismissed the book’s claims as “baseless and fictional”, saying there were far more pressing issues facing Jammu and Kashmir than dwelling on such misleading narratives.
Abdullah’s daughter, Safia Abdullah Khan, also responded strongly, saying she had never trusted Dulat and described him as someone whose “loyalty was only to himself”.
Meanwhile, some opposition leaders came out in support of Dulat’s version. Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone said the claims made in the book were “very credible”, pointing out that Dulat had been “the closest ally” of Abdullah.
Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, also weighed in, saying the revelations showed that Abdullah “chose to stay in Kashmir instead of the Parliament” in a way that supported the “betrayal” of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Location :
Srinagar, India, India
