Srinagar, April 16 (IANS) J&K Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) slammed the National Conference (NC) on Wednesday following revelations by former RAW Chief A.S. Dulat in his new book ‘The Chief Minister and the Spy’, asserting that from backchannel deals to sham opposition, the NC has perfected art of deception.

Chief Spokesperson of AIP, Inam Un Nabi, said that the National Conference is responsible for betraying the people of J&K.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir were stabbed in the back not by strangers, but by those who claimed to be their guardians. Farooq Abdullah’s private endorsement of the abrogation of Article 370 - as exposed in AS Dulat’s book - confirms what the people have long suspected: National Conference was never a victim, but a silent collaborator,” said Inam Un Nabi.

Drawing a stark comparison, Inam Un Nabi highlighted what the statement calls the “hypocrisy” and “self-interest” of the NC leadership while praising the unflinching stand of jailed MP Engineer Rashid.

“While the Abdullahs danced behind closed doors in the BJP’s corridors of power, Engineer Rashid was languishing in prison for speaking truth to power and refusing to barter his conscience for political crumbs. It is an irony of our times that traitors roam free and the people’s hero remains behind bars,” he added.

Inam Un Nabi went on to call out the “legacy of deception” practised by NC.

“From backchannel deals to sham opposition, NC has perfected the art of deception. They masquerade as the defenders of Kashmir in public, while privately negotiating their political survival at the cost of our collective dignity,” he asserted.

The AIP termed the Dulat revelations not just a political scandal but a complete moral breakdown of NC politics in Jammu and Kashmir.

“This is not merely a political scandal. It is a moral collapse. Engineer Rashid is behind bars today for being loyal to the people, for standing by Article 370 when others were busy securing favours. The day is not far when truth will triumph, and Kashmir will recognise its real leaders,” the AIP said.