Farooq Abdullah backed Article 370 abrogation, claims Former RAW Chief A.S. Dulat
Srinagar: In a political bombshell, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat has alleged that National Conference (NC) president and former J&K Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah privately supported the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The claim, made in Dulat's new book “The Chief Minister and The Spy – An Unlikely Friendship”, has sparked a political storm and could potentially impact the Abdullah family's long-standing legacy in Kashmir.
Dulat stated that he was informally asked by the Modi-led central government to reach out to Abdullah, who was under house arrest at the time. According to him, Abdullah’s release came with two unspoken conditions: refraining from criticizing the abrogation and avoiding any reference to Pakistan. “Farooq was wise enough to grasp the message,” Dulat alleged.
He further claimed that Abdullah had shown willingness to cooperate with the Centre and allegedly remarked that the NC could have passed the proposal in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly—had they been consulted.
The Abdullah family, which has dominated Kashmiri politics since Sheikh Abdullah’s era, has publicly opposed the 2019 constitutional move. The new allegations stand in stark contrast to the party’s stated stance and its later efforts to restore the special status through the Gupkar Alliance.
Sajad Gani Lone, president of the Peoples Conference, said he was not surprised, calling Dulat Abdullah’s “alter ego.” He alleged that the NC’s public opposition masked private cooperation with Delhi. “The 2019 meeting between Farooq and the PM was no mystery,” he wrote on X, suggesting the party’s electoral success in 2024 was a reward for earlier cooperation.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti accused Abdullah of helping to “normalise the gutting of J&K’s constitution,” alleging he chose to stay politically relevant in Kashmir rather than resist in Parliament.
National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq categorically denied the claims, dismissing the book as a “figment of imagination.” He highlighted contradictions in Dulat’s account, noting that Farooq formed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) after his release to challenge the abrogation.
Sadiq also recalled that Dulat’s earlier book had made controversial claims about other leaders. “This is just another attempt to stay relevant,” he said.
While the National Conference has yet to release an official statement, Dulat’s claims have added a new layer of controversy to Kashmir’s political discourse, raising fresh questions about the behind-the-scenes developments surrounding the revocation of Article 370.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
IMF approves USD 206 million emergency funding for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka's recovery
Colombo (PTI): The IMF has approved an emergency funding of USD 206 million under its rapid finance instrument to help Sri Lanka “address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability”.
The cyclone caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left over 643 people dead.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the disaster has created urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, generating significant fiscal pressures and balance-of-payments needs.
ALSO READ: PM arrives in Kolkata to unveil projects, address rally in Bengal''s Nadia
The emergency financial support provided by the IMF under the rapid finance instrument will help address these pressures, it said.
The IMF added that the cyclone devastation hit when the Fifth Review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout was nearing completion.
“Given the time needed to assess the economic impact of the cyclone and examine how an IMF-supported programme can best support Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction efforts while preserving objectives and policy priorities, the Fifth Review has been deferred," it said.
"An IMF mission team will visit Sri Lanka in early 2026 to resume discussions,” it added.
The 48-month extended fund facility deal with the IMF in March 2023 carried hard reforms to Sri Lanka's welfare-based governance.
It was signed after Sri Lanka plunged into an unprecedented economic meltdown with its first-ever sovereign default.
Several hours before the IMF decision, the parliament here approved without a vote a supplementary estimate of LKR 500 billion, which the government said was required to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster.
