April 24
The weekly two-day closure of the 270-km Kashmir highway for troop movement, which came into force last month, has thrown life out of gear in both Kashmir as well as Jammu regions as a complete chaos is being witnessed today on the 270 kilometer stretch.
The state government has ordered the highway closed for civil and public transport from Baramulla to Udhampur every Sunday and Wednesday to facilitate security forces movement for the Lok Sabha election duty. The order will remain effective till May 31.
There was chaos in the Valley, where the maximum impact was felt, and this led to a major controversy as two former Chief Ministers, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, took to the streets in protest.
Dr. Abdullah, claimed the Centre was aware of the Pulwama attack, which has triggered the ban. ‘It is their (Centre’s) mistake, they knew it was going to happen. Where did the explosives come from? Modi had to win the elections, so he did this ‘karnama’.’
Ms. Mehbooba, the PDP president, leading her party’s protest, said they would move court. ‘It is not an occupational force. If the Centre thinks by such acts they will suppress they people, it is wrong. We will defy the ban. We will go to court tomorrow and we have every right to use these roads. I urge everyone to defy the ban.
Commuters on the 161-km stretch, which links different districts and serves as a lifeline for the landlocked Valley, had a harrowing time as civilian vehicles stayed off the road. The ban has put people to a lot of inconvenience who are really angry and only adding to their hardship.
The authorities began deploying hundreds of security force personnel along the stretch, blocking all intersections and passageways to the highway from Baramulla to Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district and concertina wire was put up on intersections.