Pune, 28th March 2022: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday reacted to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s statements on the issue of the release of terrorists in exchange for Rubaiya Saeed in 1989, saying he has told the truth. Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was kidnapped by JKLF terrorists on 8 December 1989.
Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of the then Jammu and Kashmir state and Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, tweeted a clip of Khan’s recent TV interview.
Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Arif Mohd Khan Sb sets the record straight about what happened in December 1989 during the BJP supported VP Singh government. Facts are facts even when they don’t support the narrative sought to be created by the BJP & the ecosystem. Kudos to the Governor of Kerala.”
In TV interviews, Khan recounts the events of the day when he, along with former prime minister IK Gujral, who was the foreign minister in the VP Singh government, visited Abdullah’s Gupkar Road residence. Arif Mohammad Khan said that he (Farooq Abdullah) was against the demand of terrorists to release some of the jailed terrorists. Arif Khan further says that I immediately told him, Farooq Sahab, I stand with you and I will go to any extent to support you.
Arif Khan further says that Farooq Abdullah was sidelined because there was a message to release terrorists from Delhi so that Rubaiya Saeed’s release could be secured. The government had released Sheikh Abdul Hameed, Ghulam Nabi Butt, Noor Mohammad Kalwal, Mohammad Altaf and Mushtaq Ahmed for the safe release of Rubaiya Saeed. Five days after the release of these terrorists, Rubaiya Saeed had a safe return.