AS Dulat’s allegation a ‘Himalayan lie’, says Syed Salahuddin’s son

A S Dulat

The Hizbul Mujahideen on Friday said former Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief A S Dulat’s claim that Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin had called up a senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer to seek a seat for his son in medical college was a “Himalayan lie” aimed at defaming their “freedom struggle”.

Salahuddin’s son, Dr Wahid, dismissed Dulat’s allegations as a “distortion” that sought to “malign the image” of his father. Stating that he was selected “on the basis of merit”, he said the only “favour” granted was that he was allowed to shift from Jammu college to Srinagar college because of “security concerns”.

Hizbul spokesman Saleem Hashmi said Salahuddin had never contacted any government official. “The remarks are unfounded and have been made with the motive to create doubts in the minds of the common people vis-à-vis the freedom struggle of Kashmir,” said Hashmi in a statement. “People of Jammu and Kashmir know that Indian intelligence agencies and policy makers can go to any extent to weaken the freedom struggle”.

“There is not even an iota of truth in these allegations that my father called up the J&K government for any favour,” said Wahid. “Either Mr Dulat is ill-informed or he has run out of his mind for he has mouthed total rubbish,” he said in a statement.

“I was admitted in Jammu college, and being from a family with militant background, I had security apprehensions in Jammu. My fears came true… I was frequented by men from security and IB agencies. On the pretext of security investigations, the threat and harassment continued to the extent that I was forced to abdicate the class and lab work,” he said.

“My family was worried and approached BOPEE (board that conducts CET) authorities… who pretended helplessness. The court said migration was against the rules. I decided to abdicate the seat… However, my family approached the then government for help, which, sensing the political delicacy and scoring a point, helped me in migration in exchange of a Jammu student,” he said.

Wahid’s batchmates at the Srinagar Medical College also came out in his support. Drawing a parallel with IAS topper Shah Faesal, one of his batchmates said, “In the MD entrance test, he (Wahid) ranked above Shah Faesal.”

Wahid said only one of his four siblings has a permanent government job, and he was appointed much before their father took to militancy.

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