No Article 370 means licence to buy property in Kashmir: Yogi at Bihar rallies

PATNA: In a statement that may ruffle many feathers, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 has given people of other states a "licence" to own property in Jammu and Kashmir.

The firebrand BJP leader made comments to the effect at rallies he addressed in Jamui, Tarari and Paliganj assembly constituencies of Bihar.

"Earlier, a person from this part of Bihar could not even think of owning property in Kashmir. The Congress had put such a system in place. But Narendra Modi and Amit Shah changed all that.

Article 370 has been scrapped and the people now have a license to purchase and own property in any part of Kashmir, he said.

The remarks come at a time when there have been vociferous demands for ensuring that jobs and property in Jammu and Kashmir, downgraded from a state and split into two Union Territories, be reserved for locals.

Yogi also remarked mockingly that Pakistan could no longer think of sponsoring terrorism for fear of surgical strikes.

People from this part of the country, desirous of visiting Kashmir, may rest assured.

Anybody who casts a malevolent glance at them will have bullets pierced between their two eyes, said the seer-politician, evoking a thunderous applause.

Yogi also took potshots at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, both of whom have questioned the revocation of special status to Kashmir.

The people of the country are happy over scrapping of Article 370.

But these two leaders seem to be more interested in making Pakistan happy, he said.

According to the new domicile law, non-permanent residents who have residency proof of at least 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir are entitled to get domicile certificates in the Union Territory.

Prior to the nullification of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution, only state subjects were allowed to buy land and apply for government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.