Farooq Abdullah met former RAW chief at his Srinagar residence earlier in February

Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief A S Dulat met imprisoned former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah recently in Srinagar, however, details of ir conversation remains unkwn, officials said. former RAW chief, a close friend of Srinagar Lok Sabha Parliamentarian Farooq Abdullah, h a long conversation with five-time chief minister. 

When questioned about meeting, Dulat denied that any such meeting h taken place, saying, "I have comments to offer," Indian spy ncy's former chief said. officials said meeting took place on February 12 at Abdullah's Gupkar Ro residence in Srinagar, which has been converted into a subsidiary jail by Jammu and Kashmir home department.

officials, however, downplayed meeting, saying it was a courtesy meeting as two -- Abdullah and Dulat -- share a long relationship. former RAW chief h been reportedly approaching Jammu and Kashmir authorities for a meeting with Farooq Abdullah, who was taken into preventive custody on August 5 in 2019 after government abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, bifurcating state into union territories. 

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Dulat h been sent in 1999 by n NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to convince a reluctant Abdullah to release Masood Azhar, founder of banned Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, in exchange for passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814. Vajpayee government h used Dulat in 1999 because he h handled a similar situation in 1989 during VP Singh's government. As station he of Intelligence Bureau, he h been tasked to secure release of five terrorists in exchange for Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of n home minister Mufti Sayeed, who h been kidnapped by JKLF militants.

In his book 'Kashmir - Vajpayee Years', Dulat recalled his meeting with Abdullah in 1999 and wrote "You again You were re during Rubaiya's kidnapping. How could you come back again? I said n whatever you are doing is wrong, and I am saying it again. I don't agree with it." In his book, he h expressed his close bonding with Abdullah.

Farooq Abdullah's detention

Farooq Abdullah was taken into preventive custody following abrogation of Article 370. However, on September 17 last year, he was charged under Public Safety Act (PSA). Initially for three months, later his detention was renewed on December 16.  former chief minister is w confined to his Srinagar residence, which is w declared as a sub-jail. Under Public Safety Act, an individual can be detained for up to two years, without a trial. Incidentally, act was introduced by Farooq Abdullah's far, Sheikh Abdullah in 1978.

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His house, located at Gupkar Ro, has been declared a sub-jail by union territory's Home Department. 82-year-old Abdullah, who became first chief minister against whom stringent public safety law was invoked, has a heart pacemaker implanted and h undergone a kidney transplant a few years ago. PSA has two sections -- 'public order' and 'threat to security of state'. former allows detention without trial for three to one year and latter for two years.

Despite being detained under Public Safety Act, oddly, 81-year-old mainstream politician was recently included in a 21-member consultative committee on defense by government. Abdullah, in a letter, h condemned government for disallowing him to attend winter session of Parliament, wherein significant Bills were passed.  "It is most unfortunate that y are t able to deliver me my post in time. I am sure this is t way to treat a senior Member of Parliament and leer of a political party. We are t criminals," National Conference chief said. 

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(with PTI inputs)