Manohar Lal Khattar stokes controversy, says people from Haryana can now get brides from Kashmir

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday stoked controversy saying that people from Haryana can now get brides from Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 35A, under which Kashmiri women would lose property rights if they marry a person from outside Jammu and Kashmir.

"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 here.

"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.

Khattar is not new to making courting controversy. Last year, he made some objectionable remarks over rape incidents.

"The biggest concern is that in 80 to 90 per cent of rape and eve-teasing cases, the accused and the victim know each other. In many cases, they know each other for a long time and, on one day, when there is an argument (between them over some issue)... an FIR is lodged, saying he has raped me," Khattar had said in November.

He also said, "The incidents of rape have not increased... Rapes used to take place in the past and even today as well. (Only) the concern (over such incidents) has increased.

-ANI