Girl’s marriage a liability, says Congressman in poll affidavit

Srinagar: Sparking a controversy, a Congress candidate for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections has mentioned the marriage of his daughter as a “liability” in his affidavit submitted along with his nomination papers.

Under the liabilities column of the affidavit submitted before the election authorities, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, a Congress candidate from central Kashmir Ganderbal Assembly constituency, has written “unmarried daughter’s marriage”.

Mr Bhat, however, defended his affidavit saying that a “wrong impression” was being created.

“My daughter is not a burden as is being said. My daughter is not earning. So she is dependent on me. I don’t think there is any problem when I say my daughter is dependent on me and I have to take care of her marriage,” Mr Bhat said, adding that the marriage of a dau-ghter is the responsibility of a father and there was “more responsibility when the daughter is not earning”.