Terming the ban on movement of civilian traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla highway as “dictatorial”, the National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Sunday said the state government should lift the travel restrictions “before there is more bloodshed” in Kashmir.
“Are we being ruled as a colony or are we living in anindependent nation?” Abdullah asked, while leading a protest against the stateadministration over its ban on movement of civilian traffic on the highwaytwice a week, at PanthaChowk here.
“There is police and army everywhere on roads. How willpeople move in such a situation? They have put us in a cage,” Abdullah said.
Stating that the ban order was “completely wrong”, Abdullahsaid the government has subjected the people of Kashmir to hardships.
“This order should be withdrawn immediately,” he demanded.
The National Conference chief said the government can usetrains to move forces in Kashmir or have the convoys ply during night.
“But this (the ban) is harassment and dictatorship,” hesaid.
He warned that National Conference will start an agitationif the ban order is not revoked immediately.
“The government should withdraw this order before there ismore bloodshed in Kashmir,” he said.
Last week, the governor’s administration announced that nocivilian traffic will be allowed on the highway from Baramulla through Srinagarup to Udhampur on Sunday and Wednesday till May 31. These days have been keptfor movement of forces’ convoys on the highway that passes through fivedistricts in Kashmir.
While the government has said it has banned the civiliantraffic to allow safe passage to convoys and prevent any Pulwama-type fidayeenattacks, Abdullah said the attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed onFebruary 14 was “government of India’s own mistake”.
“They knew that the attack will happen. Where from did theexplosive reach Kashmir? Modi (Prime Minister NarendraModi) wants to win the(parliamentary) election and that is why they did this. I’m telling him eventoday that they did this (attack) themselves. And now we people are beingpunished,” Abdullah alleged.