Traffic off road in Jammu to protest Omar’s remarks

JAMMU - All commercial and commuter traffic stayed off the roads in the Jammu region Saturday morning after a protest call by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks challenging the nature of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession with India.

The BJP called for chakka jam or road blockade from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday. Most vehicles stayed off the road, except two wheelers and a few private cars.

These protests will continue until the chief minister tenders an unqualified apology for his remarks and swears by Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India, BJP’s state unit president Shamsher Singh told reporters Saturday.

Omar in his Oct 6 speech in the state legislative assembly had said the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India happened in unique circumstances and the Kashmir issue was yet to be settled.

Instead of retracting these remarks, he reiterated that he stood by what he said in the assembly and maintained that Pakistan was an important party in the settlement of Kashmir dispute.