Jammu, Apr 15 (IANS): Amid strict guidelines in place for the enforcement of a lockdown across the country to combat the coronavirus pandemic, heavy traffic was witnessed near the busy Vikram Chowk in Jammu on Wednesday.

However, all of those who were out in the vehicles were carrying emergency passes issued by the Jammu administration.

The administration insisted that passes were issued for people linked to essential services and there was no scope for any violation.

"This is near a police checkpoint where policemen are stopping the vehicles for checking the passes. This is the reason why so many vehicles seemed to have assembled at one point," Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, said.

Meanwhile, former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted in response to the photos of the traffic jam posted on social media by journalist Mohit Kandhari, saying, "I'm assuming these are current photographs and I have no reason to believe that they aren't. They beg the question about the sort of lockdown being enforced. In Srinagar, on duty employees of the municipality are being thrashed and in Jammu it is a free for all."

Jammu and Kashmir reported 22 new Covid-19 positive cases on Wednesday.

Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal in his tweet said that the total cases across the Union Territory stood at 300.

"22 new cases reported from J&K today. Jammu-4, Kashmir-18. All contacts of positive cases. Total number of positive cases now 300. Jammu-54 and Kashmir-246. Daily bulletin follows," Kansal tweeted.

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