Is There a Silent Message for Ruling National Conference & Agriculture Minister!
Suhail Khan
Sopore, Sep 20: As Kashmir’s fruit industry faces significant struggles due to the recent closure of the national highway, questions are being raised about Sopore Fruit Mandi President Fayaz Ahmed Malik (Kakaji), a close aide of Agriculture Minister Javed Dar, after he invited opposition leader Ravinder Raina to the mandi.
This move carries strong political undertones and suggests the rift between Kakaji and the minister may be deeper than it appears.
Are the fruit growers of northern Kashmir paying the price for this discord? With all seemingly unwell between the Agriculture Minister and the president of Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi, suspicions are mounting.
Speculation is ripe that Sopore Fruit Mandi President Fayaz Ahmed Malik may be preparing to shift political loyalties. The recent visit of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinder Raina has added fuel to these rumors.
The Web Story/The Varmul Post accessed information shared by BJP leader Ravinder Raina himself, in which he mentioned that he was invited by the Sopore Fruit Mandi President and his team to visit the market and assess the ground realities.
Why did this once-close aide of the agriculture minister take this step? Why did he invite a ‘selected’ leader and not an ‘elected’ one?
Reliable sources informed The Web Story/The Varmul Post that relations are strained between the Sopore Fruit Mandi President and Agricultural Minister Javid Ahmad Dar. Sources said that even after the minister returned from a foreign trip, he did not visit the mandi yet.
The issues reportedly began when the Agriculture Minister did not inform his close aide and friend, Sopore Fruit Mandi President Fayaz Ahmed Malik, about his visit to Austria. Following this, the ground situation for the fruit industry deteriorated badly due to the recent continuous closure of the national highway.
Sources said that during this time, Kakaji and a group affiliated with the fruit industry tried to meet Chief Minister Omar Abdullah but were not permitted, which further escalated the conflict between the two. When Malik was not allowed to meet the Chief Minister, the group instead approached Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and met with him the next day. This meeting is seen as a turning point in the tussle between the Agricultural Minister and the Sopore Fruit Mandi President. It is also said that the Agriculture minister recently visited the world-famous health resort of Gulmarg but skipped a visit to the Sopore Fruit Mandi, just 30 KMs away.
Reacting to the overall developments, Sopore Fruit Mandi President Fayaz Ahmed Malik (Kakaji) told The Web Story/The Varmul Post that nothing has happened between him and his friend, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar, though he seemed unable to speak freely about the issue. His tone, however, suggested that all is not well between the minister and his once-close aide.
He stated that the Agriculture Minister’s absence has truly hurt them. “Had he been here, perhaps we would not have had to face this situation,” he said.
When asked why a ‘selected’ representative was invited instead of an ‘elected’ one, he denied such characterization of the visit. He stated, “Anyone can come here at this time. We are happy with the senior BJP leader’s visit; at least through him, our matter will be taken to higher authorities, especially the issues and sufferings we fruit growers are facing.”
When asked if Ravinder Raina’s visit was an indication of his intent to join the BJP, he gave a tight smile and declined to comment further.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the BJP leader’s visit has been met with mixed reactions. Many political leaders, common people, and those affiliated with the fruit industry view it with suspicion.
The Web Story/The Varmul Post spoke with many individuals who stated that something seems fishy. They expressed confusion, asking why elected representatives are skipping visits to listen to their concerns during the worst phase for the apple industry, while ‘selected’ leaders are being invited.
Meanwhile, The Web Story/The Varmul Post contacted the Baramulla district BJP unit to learn more about this development. It was learned that Ravinder Raina was indeed invited, but there are no current developments regarding Fayaz Ahmed Malik shifting the loyalty. However, such moves may potentially occur in the future.
