Making an appalling statement on Tuesday, BJP legislator from UP Vikram Saini, while explaining the advantages of the Centre’s move to scrap Article 370, said that now the party workers could “marry fair women from Kashmir”.
His comments came on a day when the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill 2019, thus approving the resolution to revoke Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.
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The Bill was passed with 370 members voting in its favour and 70 voting against it.
President Ram Nath Kovind also declared abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
“All provisions of Indian Constitution as amended from time to time without any modifications or exceptions, shall apply to the state of Jammu and Kashmir notwithstanding anything contrary contained in Article 152 or Article 308 or any other article of this Constitution or any other provision of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir or any law, document, judgement, ordinance, order, by-law, rule, regulation, notification, custom or usage having the force of law in the territory of India, or any other instrument, treaty or agreement as envisaged under article 363 or otherwise,” the notification issued on Tuesday said.
In a video clip that has gone viral on the social media, the lawmaker from Khatauli was seen speaking at a function organized on Tuesday to celebrate the revoking of the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “The workers are very excited and those who are bachelors, they can get married there. There is no issue now. Earlier, there was a lot of atrocities on women.
“If a woman from Kashmir got married to a man from Uttar Pradesh, her citizenship would be revoked. There was different citizenship for India and Kashmir,” Saini said addressing the crowd in Hindi.
“The Muslim workers should celebrate here. Get married there to a fair Kashmiri girl. There should be celebrations. Everyone should celebrate Be it Hindu or Muslims. This is something the entire country should be celebrating,” he added.
Later, asked about his statement, the MLA said that he had said nothing objectionable.
“Now anyone can get married to a Kashmiri girl without any issue. That is all I said and it is the truth. This is freedom for the people of Kashmir. That is why we organised the event on Tuesday. Now, Kashmiris have attained freedom,” Saini added.
After the massive build-up in the state, the Centre on Monday scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. President Ram Nath Kovind had signed the notification to scrap the Article.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, the Centre has planned to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories – one, Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and the other, Ladakh without one.
Repealing Article 370 and Article 35A has long been one of the core BJP promises and the demand for its abrogation had risen after the Pulwama terror attack.
Article 370 grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir and limits Parliament’s power to make laws concerning the state. It was incorporated in India’s Constitution in October 1949. It also gives power to the state legislature to define Jammu and Kashmir’s residents and their privileges.
(With inputs from IANS)
