New Delhi: Former RAW Chief Amarjit Singh Dulat on Wednesday said that his “book is full of praise” for the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and has “nothing against him”.
His comments came amid a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir over some mentions concerning Farooq Abdullah in his new book ‘The Chief Minister and the Spy’. Dulat, a former IPS officer, who served both the Intelligence Bureau and RAW and has long experience of working in and on Kashmir, said the book is an appreciation and not a critique of the former Chief Minister. “I have been misquoted, misrepresented,” he told the media.
Asked about media reports citing his book that Farooq Abdullah privately backed the Centre’s move concerning abrogation of Article 370, Dulat said he has been misquoted. “Absolutely misquoted. Nothing like this happened.”
“My book is full of praise for Dr Farooq (Abdullah). There is nothing against him in the book. Please read it,” Dulat added.
Dulat was asked about reported remarks of Farooq Abdullah, in which the senior National Conference leader has talked of “inaccuracies” in the book and also said “a friend doesn’t write like this”.
Dulat was also asked about the claims in his book concerning abrogation of Article 370 and his reported mention that just as the BJP had never hidden its intentions towards Kashmir concerning Article 370, “so, too, had Farooq been extremely open about his willingness to work with Delhi”.
“My only comment is that the book is an appreciation, not critique of Farooq (Abdullah),” Dulat stated..