Haryana CM Khattar Triggers Row Over Article 370 Abrogation; Says ‘Now We Can Bring Kashmiri Girls’

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar stoked a massive row over abrogation of Article 370 and said "Earlier 'bahus' used to come from Bihar but now we will bring girls from Kashmir."

Image: PTI

New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar triggered a controversy on Friday by saying that after scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution, the path to bring Kashmiri girls was clear for marriage after the abrogation of Article 35A, under which Kashmiri women would lose property rights if they marry a person from outside Jammu and Kashmir He said this while addressing a state-level function of Maharishi Bhagirath Jayanti Samaroh in Fatehabad town on Friday. "Earlier 'bahus' used to come from Bihar but now we will bring girls from Kashmir," he said while speaking at the success of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign. "Our minister Dhankhar ji used to say that we will have to bring daughters-in-law from Bihar if the number of girls reduces and the number of boys increases. Now people say that since Kashmir is open, we can bring girls from there. Jokes apart, if there is a good (sex) ratio, the balance in the society will be set right," Khattar said at a rally. "The state of Harayana has been infamous for the skewed sex ratio. People used to say that girl children are killed here. We launched a campaign to save girl child in the state. Earlier, the sex ratio was 850 against every 1000 boys. Now it stands at 933 in the state," he added. Few days ago BJP legislator from Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh made similar remarks, saying that party workers were excited over the scrapping of Article 370 as it would now enable them to marry 'gori' (fair) Kashmiri girls. (with inputs from agencies)