Dulat's book, *The Chief Minister and The Spy*, suggests that despite Abdullah's public opposition to the Centre’s move, he had privately supported the decision to scrap Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah refuted this, stating, “I was in jail when they removed Article 370. How could I have supported it?”
Abdullah was detained on August 5, 2019, a day before the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories. His detention lasted over seven months under the Public Safety Act, during which he was confined to his residence, designated as a sub-jail.
The former chief minister has consistently criticised the abrogation, arguing that it was executed without the consent of Jammu and Kashmir's populace and their elected representatives. He has described the move as a unilateral decision by the Bharatiya Janata Party government, asserting that it did not reflect the collective will of the nation.
In various public statements, Abdullah has maintained that Article 370 was a temporary provision, contingent upon a plebiscite to determine the region's future—a process that was never conducted. He has also highlighted that the provision was initially implemented by Maharaja Hari Singh to safeguard the rights and lands of the local population post-partition.