‘An attempt to defame Kashmir horticulture sector’
Valley-based fruit growers today termed as “grave conspiracy” the reported branding of some “apples” found in a Haryana market, with anti-India slogans.
As per reports carried by various news agencies, a resident in Haryana today purchased apples which were branded with anti-India slogans. The incident stirred controversy.
Reportedly, the incident came to light at the Sirsa vegetable market in Haryana when two boxes of “Kashmiri apples” were opened and two apples in them were found with anti-India slogans written over them.
‘We want freedom,’ and ‘. . . go back’ were the two lines written on both the apples,” reports quoted by various news agencies read.
But the growers and dealers here termed it as an attempt to defame horticulture sector. “It is a conspiracy to defame Kashmir in general and our horticulture sector in particular,” said chairman Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers’ Union (KVFG), Bashir Ahmad Basheer.
“Unscrupulous elements and anti-Kashmir lobbies are hell bent to defame our horticulture as they are aware that this sector is mainstay of Kashmir economy,” he said, asking as to why a fruit dealer or grower would send apples with anti-India slogans “knowing it would hurt his business interest and even make him susceptible to action?”
President, Sopore Fruit Mandi , Mushtaq Ahmad Tantray said it is “handiwork” of unscrupulous elements. “Never has this kind of incident happened even during the peak of armed struggle in 1990s,” Tantray said.
