Srinagar: National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday criticised the prolonged closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway during the valley’s peak fruit season, calling it a “deliberate ploy” that damages Jammu and Kashmir’s economy.
Mehdi said fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir have been stranded for days after the vital NH44 was shut following heavy rains and flash floods. The 270 km highway had been closed for nine consecutive days last month and was only recently reopened for light motor vehicles, he added, raising fears of heavy losses among growers.
“Our horticulture contributes more than 75 percent to our GDP — seven times more than tourism — yet there is a pattern of attacks on it: from substandard pesticides and cheap imported apples to this repeated closure of the highway,” Mehdi told reporters in Shopian.
He alleged that even after parts of the highway reopened, trucks carrying fruit from Srinagar were not being allowed to proceed to Jammu, while vehicles from Jammu were permitted to travel toward Srinagar. “A year or so ago our fruit-laden trucks were deliberately stopped and the produce was left to rot. The highway closure is part of a clear pattern of an assault on our economy,” he charged, calling the actions intentional.
Despite his accusations, Mehdi said he hoped movement of heavy vehicles on the highway would be restored soon.
Separately, Mehdi welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to stay certain provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act, urging that the law be applied equally to all religions. “If Muslims cannot govern institutions of other religions, how can similar rules be applied only to Muslims?” he asked, calling the SC order a positive — though incomplete — step toward justice.
On the preventive detention of AAP’s Doda MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act, Mehdi warned against what he termed a “PSA regime.” He said citizens who speak up for their rights are increasingly at risk and urged people and political representatives to resist passivity. “No one is safe. Either we watch or we get proactive and fight this PSA regime — that will only end when we fight it together,” he said.
He also urged the Union territory’s elected representatives to be more assertive. “Those we gave the mandate to must wake up and stand up against this regime; if they remain silent, they too will be affected,” Mehdi warned.
