Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 16: Chief spokesperson of National Conference (NC), Tanveer Sadiq, today dismissed claims made by former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief A.S. Dulat in his new book, calling them “a figment of imagination” aimed at creating controversy to boost book sales.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a public event in Srinagar, NC’s chief spokesperson Tanveer Sadiq refuted Dulat’s assertions about party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, saying they lacked credibility and contradicted the former spy chief’s earlier statements.
“So I think this is a figment of imagination. If you want to sell your book, you create some controversy. There is no truth in this,” Sadiq said, accusing Dulat of making conflicting claims.
He pointed out that despite Delhi allegedly spending seven months trying to gauge Dr. Abdullah’s intentions post-August 2019, no conclusive opinion had emerged. “Even after that, Farooq Abdullah was the only one who kept the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) intact. And everyone knows how it later broke,” he said.
Sadiq also dismissed past controversial remarks made against other political figures by Dulat, including the late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed of PDP, saying even his own party members did not trust the former intelligence chief.
Responding to reports of internal dissent, Sadiq said the party was united and confident of remaining in power. “There is nothing like that. The National Conference is strong. We will rule for five years, in statehood, and fulfill our 12 guarantees and 26 promises,” he said.
When asked about differences with senior leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, Sadiq downplayed the issue, calling it a “matter of the house” that would be resolved internally.
In his recently released memoir, the Chief Minister and the Spy, Dulat claims that Abdullah was “extremely open” to working with Delhi after the revocation of Article 370, and had even hinted the National Conference could have passed a proposal supporting Delhi’s decisions had they been consulted.
NC spokesperson, however, maintains that such suggestions are baseless and politically motivated.
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