Bill passed, law formed on women rights in J-K: Cong Minister

Jammu, Dec 3: Lashing out at

for his "lack of knowledge", the

government today said a Bill to provide "rights" to

even after their marriage outside the state had been passed and a law formed.

"His (Modi's) local unit (of BJP) has not informed him that in the State Assembly this law has been passed. And now women have equal rights and rights to property even if they marry someone outside the state... Their children will also get the rights," Congress minister Taj Mohideen said here.

Reacting to the BJP prime ministerial candidate's remarks on women's rights in the state and that it discriminates against them by snatching their rights after marriage outside the state, Mohideen said, "I was in the Assembly when the Bill (to provide these rights to women marrying outside the state) was passed and after that the law was formed."

"...We have made the law in 2005 and that law has nothing to do with Article 370," he said. On Modi's call for a debate on Article 370 of the Constitution, he said, "Congress has remained custodian of Article 370 and its guarantor. Until the state has relations with India, Congress' stand will remain the same."

"Why should there be a debate on Article 370... It is the media which is creating confusion... It is the bridge which is linking the state with the rest of the country and if you remove this bridge there is no way between the two sides," he said, adding that the Chief Minister should have reacted more vociferously to the remarks.

"Why Modi is not talking about Article 371 which is applicable to the North-East. Why is he just focussing on Article 370? Modi has achieved nothing by creating a chaos in the state," the minister added. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) president G H Mir today said Modi's remarks have the potential to increase the trust-deficit between the state and the rest of the country.

Mir, who is also the Minister for Agriculture, said to make Article 370 a point of debate would create mistrust among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country. He said with the struggle of all mainstream political parties and cooperation of the people of the state, J&K is coming out from two decades of turmoil and the BJP should also work to strengthen the process, instead creating wedge between J&K and the Centre.

PTI