Political rallies cause massive traffic jams in Jammu

Most parts of the city witnessed massive traffic jams on Wednesday as a series of political rallies choked the roads on the last day of filing of the nomination papers for fifth and the last phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir.

Residents particularly school children, marriage parties, patients, passengers of trains and government employees in Jammu had to go through a nightmarish experience since morning.

"Thanks to the rallies of these political parties, people in various parts of the city especially on the Jammu Akhnoor road had to face massive traffic jam which lasted for more than six hours," Prem Kumar a resident said. Kumar, who along with his family was caught in the traffic at Talab Tilo area, said that Traffic police and administration knew well about the rallies of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, they still allowed hundreds of vehicles via otherwise congested Canal and Talab Tilloo roads.

The residents alleged that owing to the traffic jam many people missed their flights, trains and many even missed their job interviews. "We saw many people pleading to the traffic police to clear the road as they had either to catch a flight or a train or had a job interview, but they could not move ahead because of the traffic jam," said another resident who too was caught in the traffic Jam.

DIG Traffic Jammu Nisar Ahmed said, "There were two political rallies on the Jammu Akhnoor highway and several marriages too added to the traffic Jam."