Srinagar, September 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):Senior CPI-M leader and People’s Alliance of Gupkar Declaration Spokesperson, Muhammad Yousef Tarigami has said that a deliberate attempt is being made on part of the Modi government to destroy the fruit industry in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing fruit growers amid slogans like “Zulm ka silsila band karo, in Sopore, Tarigami said, “Be it north, central or south, everyone in Kashmir is deeply anguished by seeing the condition of apple farmers.”

It was unfortunate, he said, that Indian officials were lying about the truckers being allowed on preference to travel to Jammu.

“For Kashmiris traveling outside the valley, the highway is opened for four hours only, and for those traveling into the valley, the highway is opened for 12 hours,” he said.

He said that on one side the Kashmiri fruit is being stopped and the apple farmers remain unheard and on the other, the foreign fruit is allowed without any taxes into the region and despite several complaints against the foreign apples being sold as Kashmiri apples in the Indian market, the entry of foreign apples goes unchecked.

“I want to ask the Modi government of India why is it so upset with Kashmiris that it is blocking our apples from entering the market,” he said.

Seeking the intervention by the authorities, he said, “The administration should immediately intervene into the matter and do beyond the lip service. He said that Modi has assured that a Minimum Support Price (MSP) would be granted to all the farmers; however, the apple farmers are not being provided the MSP service and they have incurred losses worth millions due to the reducing rates.”

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