Mehbooba Mufti slams Omar Abdullah, calls Dulat’s remarks on Farooq Abdullah and Article 370 ‘Serious’
Jammu, April 21 (KINS): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hit back at National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, asserting that former RAW chief A.S. Dulat’s recent revelations about Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s alleged stance on Article 370 are far more serious than past comments made about her father, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Addressing a press conference at the PDP office, Mehbooba as perKINS said, “A.S. Dulat’s remarks that Dr. Farooq Abdullah was upset about not being consulted by the BJP before the abrogation of Article 370 — and that he claimed he could have helped them achieve it through the J&K Legislative Assembly — are deeply serious in nature.”
Highlighting Dulat’s closeness to the Abdullah family, she added, “He has not said this to damage Farooq Sahib. Rather, it appears he wants to bridge the gap between the BJP and Farooq Sahib. His intention seems to be bringing them closer.”
Contrasting these remarks with past controversies, Mehbooba said, “The comments made about Mufti Sahib in Dulat’s earlier book, which Omar Sahib often refers to, are insignificant compared to these revelations about Article 370.”
Calling for clarity from the National Conference, she demanded that Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his party provide an explanation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “They need to clarify what both Farooq Sahib and Omar Sahib were doing with the Prime Minister on August 3, 2019, just days before the abrogation,” she said.
On the issue of statehood, Mehbooba criticized the NC for allegedly aligning with the BJP’s narrative. “The restoration of statehood has already been promised by the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister. But what hasn’t been promised is the return of Article 370. We had hoped the NC, with 50 MLAs, would raise that issue. But they’ve chosen silence — and that’s a matter of serious concern.”(KINS)
