Amarjit Singh Dulat, also known as AS Dulat, former Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau and Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) from 1999 to 2000, is once again in the news. A video of him has recently gone viral in which he can be seen abusing a journalist during an interview from Bharat Raftar and moving aggressively towards him, seemingly attempting to hit him. Notably, this interview was conducted in the context of his latest book ‘An Unlikely Friendship: The Chief Minister and The Spy’. Over the past few days, he has been giving interviews to various journalists as part of the promotion of this book.
When the interviewer asked him why he participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Dulat responded, “Hum to hamesha Congress ke sath hai, ideological jhukav hai.” (We have always been with Congress; there is an ideological inclination.) He also said that the only solution for the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) issue is, “Jo Line of Control hai us par samjhota kar lo, jo hamara hai wo hamara, jo tumhara hai wo tumhara.” (there should be a settlement on the Line of Control, what is ours remains ours, what is yours remains yours.)
This statement by former Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau contradicts India’s position which clearly states that PoJK is an integral part of India and must be reclaimed.
This is not the first time that Dulat, often regarded as a Kashmir affairs expert, has sparked controversy. Earlier, he made headlines for his comments on the film The Kashmir Files. Dulat dismissed the film as mere propaganda and described it as a publicity stunt. In March 2019, he described the Pulwama terror attack as a “gift to the BJP” ahead of the general elections.
Dulat has often advocated dialogue with separatists and has shown repeated sympathy for with separatist movements. AS Dulat’s name has also been associated with Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. According to some media reports, Dulat played a role in helping Salahuddin’s son secure a medical seat in Srinagar. Later, Syed Salahuddin publicly praised Dulat and referred to him as “the best.” This incident reinforced the perception of Dulat’s soft outlook toward terrorists.
In fact, Dulat’s affection for Pakistan can also be seen, as he was a co-author of a book ‘The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace’ with former Pakistan ISI chief Asad Durrani. In 2018, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, and other Congress leaders released this book in New Delhi. Leaders like Farooq Abdullah and Kapil Sibal were also present at the event.
In an interview with Barkha Dutt, Dulat also claimed that during his tenure, R&AW gave a tip that helped save the life of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf from an attack planned by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terrorist outfit in Pakistan. This revelation once again brought his pro-Pakistan sentiments under scrutiny.
In another interview with Karan Thapar, AS Dulat revealed that he used to drink Black Label whiskey with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and former Union Home Minister. Notably, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was often seen as a terrorist sympathiser. The fact that a former Special Director of IB and Secretary of R&AW shared such a relationship with him only raises concerns about Dulat’s priorities and associations while handling sensitive national security matters.
Senior journalist and author Ashwini Bhatnagar, in his book Farooq of Kashmir, wrote that many IB operatives in Kashmir were killed by terrorists after AS Dulat organised a conference of his spies in mid-1989 in Srinagar. Interestingly, he asked all undercover IB operatives to come out of cover and attend a public meeting. The operatives were then identified, and a spate of killings by Pakistan-backed terrorists followed.
His affection for Pakistan does not ends here, during the launch his book “The Chief Minister and The Spy”, Dulat said, “The sands are running out, time is on nobody’s side. We need to move on and we need to move on with Pakistan…I will continue to say that we must move forward with Pakistan”
Interestingly, National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah while reacting to Dulat’s latest, says the book is full of inconsistencies. “Dulat book is full of so many inaccuracies, I can’t even begin to describe them. It’s unfortunate — if he really considers me a friend, then he wouldn’t have written such things. In the book, he claims I asked him whom to make CM when I formed the government in 1996 — that’s completely false”, said Abdullah.
Overall, AS Dulat has always remained in the limelight for the wrong reasons, be it his pro-Congress ideology, soft stand on terrorism, or controversial public statements. His actions and affiliations continue to spark serious debates on national security and the ethical responsibilities of former intelligence officers.
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