Political Storm Erupts in Kashmir Following Release of Ex-RAW Chief AS Dulat’s New Book

Political Storm Breaks Out in Kashmir over AS Dulat’s Latest Book Revelations

The publication of former RAW chief AS Dulat’s latest book, The Chief Minister and the Spy, has created a huge political storm in Kashmir. Dulat’s revelations about the abrogation of Kashmir’s autonomy under Article 370 in 2019 have evoked bitter responses from political parties, creating a blazing battle on issues of loyalty and betrayal.

In his book, Dulat asserts that though National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah openly denounced the scrapping of Article 370 as a “betrayal,” privately he endorsed it. This duplicity has spawned charges of hypocrisy against the NC and opposition leaders have latched onto the disclosures as proof of the party’s so-called nexus.

The NC has refuted Dulat’s claims in strong terms, terming them a “figment of his imagination.” In a social media statement, Farooq Abdullah termed Dulat’s claims an effort to sell books at the cost of truth. He specifically denied Dulat’s description of their past interactions, saying that he had never sought Dulat’s view on cabinet formation when he was Chief Minister in 1996 or consulted him on decision-making.

Farooq also rejected the idea that he had any intention of joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He reminded that when Article 370 was revoked, he and his colleagues were jailed, which contradicts Dulat’s description of his position during that crucial time.

The opposition parties were quick to jump in and berate the NC. People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Lone said that Dulat’s disclosures give weight to the long-standing suspicion about the private alignment of the NC with the BJP. He indicated that the convergence of a meeting between former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the abrogation was no surprise.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also reacted, with Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra stating that Dulat has “unmasked” the NC, which suggests that the party entered a secret pact with the central government. PDP leader Iltija Mufti reasserted this perception, stressing that Dulat’s observations make the deliberations among the Abdullahs and the central leadership clearer.

Against the backdrop of the surrounding allegations, there have been calls for transparency from different corners. Parra insisted that Farooq Abdullah give an explanation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir about Dulat’s shocking assertions, which he termed as “sensational.”

The political implications of Dulat’s book go beyond simple allegations. The All Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) described the NC not as a victim of circumstances but as a “silent collaborator” in the revocation of Article 370. BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur seconded such comments, saying that credible persons like Dulat do not manipulate facts and that the NC had already known about and favored the revocation.

As the controversy escalates, it is clear that Dulat’s revelations not only fueled past grudges but also laid bare the complex game of politics in Kashmir, which has triggered a settling of scores on loyalty, betrayal, and the future of the political map of the region.