Ex-R&AW chief Dulat claims Farooq privately backed Article 370 abrogation, he denies
In a recent revelation, former R&AW chief AS Dulat has claimed in his new book ‘The Chief Minister and the Spy’ that former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah privately backed the abrogation of Article 370. However, Abdullah has denied the claim, calling it a “figment of imagination” of the author.
Dulat, who was the chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) from 1999 to 2000, has written in his book that Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) had suggested that the abrogation of Article 370 would have helped in passing the Bill. According to Dulat, Abdullah had made this suggestion during a meeting between the two.
However, Abdullah has strongly denied the claim, stating that it is a “figment of imagination” of the author who claims to be his friend. “I don’t know what kind of friendship he is talking about,” Abdullah said. “As far as I know, I have never suggested anything that would harm the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The claim made by Dulat has sparked a controversy in the political circle, with many questioning the accuracy of the claim. The abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was a highly controversial move that was pushed through by the Centre in August 2019.
Article 370, which was introduced in the Indian Constitution in 1954, granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, allowing it to have its own constitution, flag, and autonomy. However, the Centre had long been seeking to repeal the article, citing the need to integrate the state with the rest of the country.
The Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370 was met with widespread protests and violence in Kashmir, with many people accusing the Centre of violating the rights of the people of the state. The move was also criticized by many political parties and international organizations, which accused the Centre of violating the international laws and norms.
Abdullah, who was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1987 to 1990 and again from 2002 to 2005, has been a vocal critic of the Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370. He has repeatedly stated that the move was unconstitutional and would have serious consequences for the people of the state.
In his book, Dulat has also claimed that Abdullah had suggested that the National Conference (NC) would support the Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370 if it was done in a “constitutional” manner. However, Abdullah has denied this claim, stating that he had never suggested anything that would harm the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The controversy surrounding Dulat’s claim has raised questions about the accuracy of the information presented in his book. Many have questioned why Dulat would make such a claim about a former Chief Minister, and whether he has any evidence to back up his claim.
The Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370 was a highly controversial move that was met with widespread protests and violence in Kashmir. The move was also criticized by many political parties and international organizations, which accused the Centre of violating the international laws and norms.
In conclusion, the controversy surrounding Dulat’s claim that Farooq Abdullah privately backed the abrogation of Article 370 has raised questions about the accuracy of the information presented in his book. While Dulat has claimed that Abdullah made the suggestion, Abdullah has denied the claim, stating that it is a “figment of imagination” of the author. The Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370 was a highly controversial move that was met with widespread protests and violence in Kashmir, and many have questioned the accuracy of the information presented in Dulat’s book.
Source: https://repository.inshorts.com/articles/en/PTI/5880e3bf-0a05-40d6-887a-465b5c760b3a
