Mumbai: Amid a nationwide call to boycott Turkey and Turkish products, a trader from Pune has allegedly received threatening calls from Pakistan for boycotting Turkish apples. Suyog Zende, the apple trader at Pune’s Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), popularly known as Marketyard, has claimed that he received threatening calls from Pakistan on WhatsApp after he led a campaign to boycott Turkish apples. The calls contained a voice message containing abusive language targeting India and warning that no harm could come to Pakistan or Turkey.“In the voice message, they said – “You Indians cannot do anything.” I would like to tell them that this is just the beginning. We are descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and they should know what we are capable of,” Zende said. The development has come after fruit traders in Pune deciding to boycott apples imported from Turkey. To protest Turkey’s support for Pakistan during recent tensions with India, traders in Pune have decided to cease purchasing Turkish apples. Instead, they are sourcing apples from Himachal, Uttarakhand, Iran and other regions. The boycott is expected to have a significant impact on Pune’s fruit market, given Turkish apples usually contribute to a seasonal turnover of upto Rs 1,200 crores. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated traders in APMC Pune for adopting a ‘nation first’ stand by stopping the import of apples and dry fruits from Turkey to protest its support to Pakistan. “I congratulate all traders who have decided to boycott imports from Turkey. At this juncture, ‘nation first’ should be our stand. There is a need to teach a lesson not only to those who orchestrated the killings in Pahalgam but also to the countries supporting them. I welcome this organic feeling of ‘nation first’ among citizens,” Fadnavis said. On the trader receiving a threatening call purportedly from Pakistan, the CM said the traders need not worry about such threats. “India is a country that stormed into Pakistan and decimated it. On the other hand, Pakistan could not harm us. There is no need to fall prey to empty threats. The government will provide protection and everyone should remain firm on the ‘nation first’ stand,” he added. Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has announced an additional reward of Rs 10 lakh for identification of Pahalgam terror attack suspects. The announcement comes in response to the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s release of photos of three suspects, for which they have announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh. “We stand firmly against terrorism and those who support it. We urge citizens to come forward with any information that can help bring these culprits to justice,” said Eknath Shinde. “By adding to the reward amount, we aim to ensure that the guilty are held accountable and justice is served for the victims and their families.” The Pahalgam terror attack had claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, and the investigation is ongoing. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Maharashtra has alsi called for a ban on tourism to Turkey and Azerbaijan. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra State, stands in solidarity with the nation’s collective sentiment and appeals to all its members, as well as citizens across India, to refrain from engaging in tourism to Turkey and Azerbaijan. This call for a voluntary ban is in response to recent geopolitical developments that have raised serious concerns about the safety, security, and ethical considerations of supporting tourism in these regions. Dr. Santosh Kadam, President of IMA Maharashtra, said, “As responsible citizens and members of the medical community, it is our duty to reflect solidarity with our nation’s values and collective interests. We urge all our members to stand united in this appeal and discourage tourism in Turkey and Azerbaijan that may contradict our national principles.”
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