It's controversial/ Did Farooq Abdullah Privately Support Abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir?

New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has pushed back strongly against claims made by former R&AW chief A.S. Dulat in his upcoming book The Chief Minister and the Spy. According to Dulat, while Abdullah publicly condemned the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, he privately expressed a willingness to support the move, allegedly telling Dulat, “We would have helped (pass the proposal). Why were we not taken into confidence?”

'Cheap Trick to Boost Sales of The Chief Minister and the Spy'

Contrary to Daulta's claims. Abdullah senior categorically denied the allegation, calling it a “cheap trick” to boost book sales and branding the claim as a “figment of imagination.” 

Accusing Dulat—once perceived as a close associate—of resorting to sensationalism, Abdullah said such stunts were aimed at generating controversy rather than truth.

“The suggestion that the National Conference was planning to pass a resolution supporting the abrogation is not only baseless, but also laughable,” the NC veteran said. “It is entirely a product of the author’s imagination, who claims to be my friend but is clearly misrepresenting the facts.”

He further pointed out that both he and his son Omar Abdullah were placed under detention for several months following the revocation of Article 370, precisely because of their known and vocal opposition to it.

Reiterating the NC’s consistent stand, Abdullah noted that the party was instrumental in forming the Gupkaar Alliance, which was launched to fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and full statehood. 

Revelation Triggers Massive Backlash

Meanwhile, Dulat's revelation has triggered a fierce backlash from the Abdullahs' political opponents, who accuse the NC of hypocrisy and betrayal. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and People’s Conference reacted sharply, calling the disclosure a damning indictment of the NC's conduct during one of the most pivotal moments in Kashmir’s recent political history.

PDP Fires First Salvo

Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, took to the social media platform X, stating, “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 and the PM days before J&K's special status was revoked.”

She further alleged that Abdullah’s decision to stay back in Kashmir instead of attending Parliament was an attempt to “normalise the gutting of J&K’s Constitution.”

PDP leader and MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Parra went a step further, calling the claims a removal of “the last remaining mask.” He said, “The fiery speeches, the staged outrage, the carefully crafted image of ‘fighting the BJP ’—it was all theatre… In truth, they were complicit—quiet facilitators of our disempowerment.”

Sajad Lone Joins the Chorus

J&K People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone also weighed in, calling the claim credible given Dulat’s close ties to Abdullah.

“Dulat Sahab is virtually Farooq Sahab’s alter ego,” Lone wrote on X. “The August 4, 2019 meeting with the PM was never a mystery for me. It now seems 2024 was a prize for services rendered in 2019. Of course, in national interest.”

NC Denies Claims

Responding officially, National Conference chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq dismissed Dulat’s claims as contradictory and misleading.

“If the government waited seven months to assess Farooq Abdullah’s reaction while he was in custody, why did he promote the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) after coming out?” he told local news agency KNO.

As the political fallout continues, all eyes remain on the NC's next move amid rising tensions and renewed questions about the party's role during the lead-up to the abrogation of Article 370.