‘Swirling lathis in air and damaging vehicles forced drivers to block the passage of Army convoy’

5 Dariya News

Pulwama 02-Feb-2017

Scores of Sumo drivers Thursday parked their vehicles in the middle of the road, blocking the traffic and stopped Army Convoy near Awantipora on Srinagar-Jammu highway after some army men part of the Army Convoy according to these drivers charged their vehicles with canes and guns, thus damaging them to a great extent.Eyewitnesses told CNS that vehicular movement near Awantipora was disrupted on Thursday morning after some drivers blocked the road and parked their vehicles in the middle of the road. The protesting drivers alleged that some army men in a bid to overtake them hit their vehicles with lathis, thus damaging their bodies.“This is hooliganism and we are not going to tolerate it. 

These Army men who were part of the Convoy whirled lathis in air asking drivers to make room for them. Without any reason they damaged our vehicles. We were forced to block their passage to attract the attention of the police and civil administration,” some of the drivers said.They added that 90’s like situation prevails in South Kashmir. “We are asked to stop and pave way for the Army covoy’s which is intolerable and causes a great inconvenience to commuters and common passengers,” they said. The protesting drivers stopped the Army convoy and private traffic. Some Army officers tried to pacify the protesting drivers who however, didn’t relent.Witnesses said that Station House Officer Awantipora rushed to spot and pacified the protesting drivers with an assurance that he will take up the matter with the higher authorities. (CNS)