“We ate paranthas, dhokla, then 370 went off”

New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Srinagar on June 26 in 2019 was to give the final touch to the government’s resolve for carrying out the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, Lt Gen (retired) KJS Dhillon has claimed in his yetto-be-released book.

‘Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye’, authored by Dhillon, will be released on February 14 as a mark of respect to the 40 Central Re- serve Police Force personnel who were killed in a suicide car bomb attack in 2019 near Lethpora in South Kashmir.

Shah’s visit on June 26, 2019, was already touted to be a precursor for a dramatic announcement and “I got a call at 2 am in the morning, informing me of a meeting with the home minister at 7 am”, Dhillon said in his book.

Without divulging much about his meeting with the home minister, the retired Lt General, who was the head of the army’s strategic Srinagar-based XV Corps, wrote that “a lot of sensitive issues and key points were on the table for discussion apart from delectable food that include ‘aloo paratha and famous Gujarati dish ‘dhokla’ during our tete-e-tete”.

The discussions included understanding the reaction of Pakistan to the “path breaking declaration” that was now certain to be followed, he said.

“I must point out, and with absolute objectivity and great professional input, that the home minister was in absolute control and fully conversant with the agenda and... he had obviously done extensive research and homework,” the retired Lt General said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, “I was asked about my frank and personal view, (and) my immediate response was ‘agar itihaas likhna hai, toh kisi ko itihas banana padega’ (we can write history only if we make history)”, Dhillon said in the book.