Political parties took to the rods as the Jammu and Kashmir government’s order banning movement of the civilian vehicles on the highway between Udhampur and Baramula came into force and will be in effect till May 31. The parties rage that they will “defy” the order and will ask for the revocation of the ban. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti urged the civilians of the state to defy the ban on the traffic saying that she would challenge the government’s order in the court.
The order was issued by Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik’s administration on April 3. The order asserts the easy movement of convoys /between the winter and summer capitals of the state by stopping all the civilian traffic on a 270-km stretch of the national highway on Wednesdays and Sundays. “Parliamentary elections and the associated possibility of Fidayeen terror attack on the security forces and the convoys” was the sole justification given for the action of stopping civilian traffic on the highway.
VVIPs do not have to follow orders, they are outside the purview of the ban of movement of traffic. Schoolchildren, government employees, emergency services and tourist vehicles are exceptions. Magistrates have been appointed to facilitate the movement of the traffic as per the guidelines.
In reprimand to the government’s order, Farooq Abdullah also took to the streets and demanded to know if Kashmir was a “colony” that had to be ruled under a dictatorship. He said that the train or the travel of the troops should be done at night if they have to be moved.
To the action. Mehbooba Mufti said that the prediction of Government of suppressing the state by doing such actions is absolutely wrong. She claimed that she will file a petition in the court. She said that Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris and they do not have to seek permission to use their own roads.
In her tweet, she mentioned, “Protested against the Governor administrations callous and absurd ban today. How can you restrict civilian movement on our main highway? You want to smother Kashmiris, change their demographics of the state and imprison them in their own land? Over my dead body.”
National Conference leader and chief, Omar Abdullah on Monday questioned the rationale behind the closing of the Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway for civilian traffic only on Sundays and Wednesday when security force convoys could ply on the same road on other days of the week as well.
Here’s another full strength convoy. I’m simply trying to highlight the point that the architects of the highway closure have made no application of mind. Somehow this convoy on the highway is safe today but it wouldn’t have been yesterday & won’t be on Wednesday. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/u5sMMUagQt
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 8, 2019
The former chief minister posted a video on his Twitter handle showing a long convoy of security forces moving on the highway on Monday against the ordered days while civilian traffic also plied side by side.
In his tweet to this process by the government, he added, “Here’s another full strength convoy. I am simply trying to highlight the point that the architects of the highway closure have made no application of mind. Somehow this convoy on the highway is safe today but it wouldn’t have been yesterday (Sunday) and won’t be on Wednesday.”