Says Omar will be next CM after elections
*Centre cleared Kashmir visit, Doval was aware
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 14: Former RAW chief AS Dulat today claimed that the Central Government had cleared his visit to Kashmir on February 12 to meet then detained former Chief Minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and that National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was fully aware of it.
Dulat has also made certain startling revelations about the BJP entering into alliance with PDP in 2015 saying that Narendra Modi Government had initially tried to form alliance with Abdullahs and National Conference but Omar Abdullah (the National Conference vice president and also former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir) had rejected the deal.
Dulat made these disclosures in an interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire website which was released tonight.
Confirming his February 12 visit to Srinagar, Dulat revealed clearance (to the visit) and support he got from the Government in New Delhi as well as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Srinagar.
The former RAW chief told the website that he got in touch with Dr Abdullah, who was detained by the Government on August 4 night ahead of the Central Government decision to revoke special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of erstwhile State into the two Union Territories, on October 31 (the day J&K and Ladakh formally became the UTs) to enquire his condition.
Dulat sought meeting with Farooq who said it depends on the authorities. He then got in touch with a former colleague in the IB in Srinagar who too said he would need to get clearance from New Delhi. He contacted sources in the Home Ministry but initially they too denied permission but on February 9, he got a telephone call from the MHA saying he was free to go to Kashmir.
“This phone call would only have happened with the knowledge and concurrence of Doval and this means the NSA was fully in the loop,” Dulat was quoted as saying.
He said the IB in Srinagar provided transport to take him to Abdullah’s residence at Gupkar Road and back and he returned to New Delhi by 6.30 pm. On his return, the Home Ministry officials called him to find out about the trip.
Dulat said he again spoke to Dr Abdullah on March 13 night few hours after his release and he told him that he will visit New Delhi after about a fortnight, which means he will miss the ongoing budget session of Parliament expected to adjourn on April 2.
“Farooq was concerned about the use of PSA against Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and couldn’t understand why this was done. Abdullah said he himself was fully committed to India and had brought up his children in the same but now he didn’t know how to answer questions his grandchildren may ask,” the former RAW chief said.
Dulat also revealed certain interesting developments post 2014 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir which threw a hung Assembly and resulted into the BJP coming to power for the first time in the erstwhile State albeit as a junior partner of the PDP.
He revealed that Narendra Modi Government tried to form an alliance with the Abdullahs and National Conference before choosing the PDP and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as partner.
“At that time, Farooq Abdullah was in London hospital and the Government sent an emissary to meet him. Farooq said that he was unwell and not in a position to decide and referred the emissary to Omar,” Dulat said, adding Omar rejected the deal. He confirmed that Doval would be fully aware of all this.
He expressed confidence that the Government would find some way of talking to Mehbooba Mufti if it had not already done so.
Talking about future, Dulat said the present Government was even more comfortable with Omar than Farooq. With great confidence, he said Omar would be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir whenever the elections are held.
Regarding general situation in Kashmir, Dulat said he found Srinagar perfectly normal saying shops were open and there were traffic jams at all the places you would expect to have them.
Dulat said the Government must talk to all mainstream political parties as well as Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. He said he would tell the Government to start talking to Pakistan.
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