Former CJI opts out of ex-R&AW chief Dulat's book launch function amid Abdullah controversy

New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur has decided to skip former R&AW chief A S Dulat's book release function, citing the political storm over certain parts of the book concerning National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.

The book, The Chief Minister and The Spy was scheduled to be released later Friday by Justice (Retd) Thakur.

This comes a day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in Jammu that his father and veteran politician Farooq Abdullah will not be attending the book release function.

Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday dismissed Dulat's claims that he had "privately backed" the abrogation of Article 370 as a "cheap stunt" to boost the sales of the top spy's forthcoming memoir.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5, 2019, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories.

In his response to Dulat's invitation, Justice (Retd) Thakur said, "While I had accepted your kind invitation to participate in the release function, I have since yesterday (Wednesday) seen a political storm brewing in the print and electronic media for certain parts of your book especially those attributing certain statements to (Farooq) Abdullah whom you admire and treat as a valued friend." The ex-CJI said Farooq Abdullah has also publicly "disowned, if not denounced" the statements attributed to him.

"In the circumstances, you would kindly appreciate that the raging controversy and its political overtones would be an embarrassment for me which I would like to avoid not only on account of my long and cordial association with the Abdullah family but also because as a totally apolitical person I would not like to be seen promoting or endorsing a book which is being disowned by the very person about whom the same has been written," Justice Thakur (retd) said.

The former chief justice said besides, Farooq Abdullah, who was supposed to be sharing the dais with journalist Vir Sanghvi for a discussion on the book, may also not be doing so.

"I am acutely conscious of the fact that my recusal on the eve of the launch would inconvenience and force you to look for a substitute but given the situation in which I am placed, you will forgive me for the discomfiture that it may cause to you or the publisher of the book," he said.