National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said that the closure of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, which has severely affected the apple crop in the Union Territory, is a consequence of divine wrath rather than human negligence or sabotage. He suggested that a distancing from religious faith, including not performing namaz, may have invited such calamities.
The highway—NH-44—has been blocked by landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains, disrupting vehicular flow on a key supply artery for Kashmir. The closure has stranded thousands of fruit-laden trucks, leaving apple growers with massive losses and raising alarm over the fragile state of critical infrastructure. Abdullah dismissed allegations by political rivals that the disruption was intentional or politically motivated.
He contrasted Kashmir’s situation with the crisis in Gaza, questioning why Muslim nations have not been more vocal about the suffering there, and implied that collective spiritual neglect may underline global and regional suffering. “Look at what is happening in Gaza today, where thousands are dying. Is any Muslim country raising its voice on it?” he asked.
Meanwhile his son, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has held talks with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, along with officials from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, seeking urgent remedial action on NH-44. He emphasised that “concrete steps” must be taken immediately so that movement of trucks and essential goods can resume without further delay.
The blockade has taken a heavy economic toll. Estimates for losses to the fruit sector range widely; growers believe losses may be in the region of hundreds of crores of rupees, with fruit stock perishing in trucks awaiting clearance.
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