Fact Check: Haryana CM Never Said ‘We Can Now Bring Kashmiri Bride’, Here’s What he Actually Stated

Manohar Lal Khattar also uploaded a video of his remarks on Twitter.

New Delhi: Hours after media reports did rounds that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made “offensive” remarks about Kashmiri women, it has now come to light that he was misquoted and that his statement was taken out of context.

Various media outlets reported the CM as saying “Our minister O P Dhankhar used to say that he will bring ‘bahu’ (daughter in law) from Bihar. Nowadays people are saying that path to Kashmir has been cleared. Now we will bring girls from Kashmir”. This sparked a row with Khattar becoming the centre of social media trolls.

However, it is now learnt that the Haryana CM never said those words, but was only talking about the state’s improved sex ratio. He was, in fact, only telling people that other people were making such comments about Kashmiri women, not that he also wanted to bring Kashmiri “bahus”.

“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,” the chief minister had said in an obvious reference to the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Manohar Lal Khattar also uploaded a video of his remarks on Twitter.

LIVE : At "Navtarang Shaheedon ko Naman" programme, Charkhi Dadri https://t.co/hz7qXFKBj9

— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) August 10, 2019

Taking to Twitter, the Haryana CM also slammed Rahul Gandhi for calling his mind that of a weak, insecure and pathetic man. “Dear Rahul Gandhi ji, at least at your level, you shouldn’t react on distorted news. I’m attaching the video of what I actually said, and In what context – this will give you clarity of mind (sic),” Khattar tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had said that Khattar’s comment on Kashmiri women is despicable and shows what years of RSS training does to the mind of a weak, insecure and pathetic man. “Women are not assets to be owned by men,” he had added.