Traffic on Kashmir highway disrupted for hours due to agitation

Srinagar,Sep 29: Traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was suspended for over three hours due to agitation by people, who were protesting against the braid chopping incidents in Kulgam districts.
      Hundreds of people, including women and youth, hit the highway at Wanpoh and Koimoh in Kulgam, raising slogans against administration and police for failing to identify the culprits involved in braid chopping incidents for the past more than a month.
       The agitators blocked the highway with the result hundreds of vehicles got stranded on both sides.
         The demonstrators alleged that when there is any militant incident, police immediately claim to have identified them and their organization. But for the past more than a month police even failed to identify the accused involved in the braid cutting which has terrified people, particularly women and young girls.
       Refusing to allow traffic on the highway till senior civil and police authorities assured to arrest the culprits, allegedly being protected by security forces.
      Additional security forces and state police personnel were rushed to the area, official sources said adding traffic was restored after the demonstrators were dispersed.
  A traffic police official told UNI that traffic has now been restored on the highway after over 3 hours.
  About a dozen braid chopping incidents were reported, mostly in Kulgam district, during the past over a month.
      Police has already constituted a special team on the directions of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to identify the accused in these incidents.
      Mainstream political parties and separatists have also joined the debate and demanded immediate action in this regard. UNI