Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference rank and file Thursday criticized the remarks made by former RAW chief A S Dulat against Dr. Farooq Abdullah in his book “The Chief Minister and the Spy” as completely detached from reality and a blatant attempt to generate publicity for the book.
In a joint statement, the senior leaders of the party, including party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Advisor to HCM Nasir Aslam Wani, Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, Provincial Presidents Showkat Mir, Rattan Lal Gupta, party MPs, senior leaders Sakina Itoo, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Muhammad Shafi Uri, Sharief Ud Din Shariq, Ratan Lal Gupta, Ajay Sadhotra, Khalid Nejeeb Suharwardhy, Shameema Firdous, Mubarak Gul, district presidents, block presidents vehemently denounced the remarks made by Dulat as a desperate attempt to gain cheap publicity for the book.
They emphasized that the party president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, is a symbol of democratic resistance against the unilateral decisions made by the center on August 5, 2019. “Dr. Abdullah was the driving force behind the formation of the PAGD in response to these decisions,” they added.
The leaders pointed out that Dulat’s accusations are baseless, especially considering his previous allegations against Mufti Syed, which were denied by the PDP. “How can PDP trust his current claims when his past statements have been refuted by them? It is clear that Dulat’s motives are questionable.”
Furthermore, the leaders highlighted Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s history of standing up for Kashmir’s autonomy, even in the face of adversity. “His government was dismissed in 1984, and he has been unjustly jailed and placed under house arrest multiple times since 2019. The NC had warned the PDP against allying with the BJP, foreseeing the negative impact it would have on the region’s autonomy. People of Kashmir are well aware of who truly stands up for their rights. Dulat’s attempts to smear Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s reputation have been debunked, leaving no room for the PDP and other parties to spread false narratives. Even the author had retracted from what is being peddled on social media platforms,” they said.
