Former RAW chief Amarjit Singh Dulat on Thursday dismissed the controversy surrounding his latest book The Chief Minister and the Spy, firmly stating that nowhere in the book has he written that Dr. Farooq Abdullah supported the abrogation of Article 370.
Responding to media reports and speculation, Dulat clarified that Farooq Abdullah was deeply hurt by the 2019 decision and had never been taken into confidence by the central government. “This book is not about Article 370. It’s an appreciation of Farooq Abdullah, the great man,” Dulat said in an interview with ANI.
A veteran IPS officer and former head of both the Intelligence Bureau and RAW, Dulat has decades of experience in Jammu and Kashmir. He insisted that his long-standing friendship with Farooq Abdullah remains unaffected by the controversy. “Friendships don’t end over frivolous remarks,” he added, noting that Abdullah had agreed to attend the book launch and hoped he would still do so.
Dulat recalled that the National Conference leader was “heartbroken” at the manner in which Article 370 was revoked. “Farooq Sahib has always stood with Delhi. But it’s Delhi that has failed to understand him,” he said.
When questioned about allegations suggesting that Abdullah supported the abrogation, Dulat was unequivocal: “That’s nonsense and just a media stunt. He never supported it. In fact, two days before the move, he, Omar Abdullah, and a party MP met the Prime Minister — though I don’t know what was discussed. Farooq told me afterward that the government should have taken them into confidence, not put them under house arrest.”
Reiterating his admiration for the National Conference leader, Dulat emphasized: “There’s no leader in Kashmir with even half the stature of Farooq Sahib. There’s no bigger nationalist than him. This government formed by the National Conference was a positive step for Kashmir, and only this family can lead it forward.”
Asserting that he welcomes differing opinions on his book, Dulat concluded, “If someone thinks I’ve pulled a stunt to sell books, so be it. I have no objections.”
