National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Monday questioned the rationale behind closing the Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla highway for civilian traffic on Sundays and Wednesday if forces’ convoys could ply on the same road on other days of the week as well.
The former chief minister posted a video on his twitterhandle showing a long convoy of forces moving on the highway on Monday whilecivilian traffic also plied side by side.
“Here’s another full strength convoy. I’m simply trying tohighlight the point that the architects of the highway closure have made noapplication of mind. Somehow this convoy on the highway is safe today but itwouldn’t have been yesterday (Sunday) and won’t be on Wednesday,” he tweeted.
“If it is safe for SF (security forces) convoys to move onMonday without closing the highway to civilian traffic, why is it not safe onWednesdays and Sundays? Nothing proves the mindlessness of the order more thanarmy movement on ‘unsafe’ days. This road is part of the highway by the way,”he added.
The government last week banned all civilian vehicles fromplying on the highway from Udhampur to Baramulla via Srinagar on Sundays andWednesdays to facilitate safe movement of forces’ convoys which are being movedaround for election duty in the state.
The ban, which came into force on 7 April, has drawn widespread criticism from mainstream political parties in Kashmir.