"Traders will take final call on ending business relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan": BJP's Praveen Khandelwal

New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal on Friday said that the traders from across the country will take a final call on ending business relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan for extending support to Pakistan during its recent conflict with India following Operation Sindoor, initiated by the Indian army in response to the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack.
He said that trade leaders were gathering in Delhi, coming from 24 states, to raise their voice against both nations, Turkey and Azerbaijan, for extending support to Pakistan. Khandelwal added that traders in the country have resolved to end business relations with any country that takes a stand against India.
"The traders (or trade leaders) from 24 states in the country have come to Delhi for a meeting. They are here to raise their voice against Turkey and Azerbaijan for supporting Pakistan. They will take a final decision on ending business (trade) relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. All traders in India are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and any country that will stand against India, the traders will not support that and will refrain from doing business with that nation," Khandelwal told ANI.
In the aftermath of the recent conflict, India has taken a firm stand against terrorism sponsored by the neighbouring country, with its traders and other businesses calling for the boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan for supporting Pakistan.
Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jairam Thakur has supported the demand of Apple growers in the state for the ban on the import of apples from Turkey and stated that actions taken against Pakistan should also be taken for Turkey.
On May 15, young apple growers in Himachal Pradesh demanded an immediate ban on the import of apples from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and China. They called on the central government to impose a complete ban or at least raise import duties above 100% on apples from about 44 foreign countries, particularly Turkey.
The fruit merchants in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior have expressed strong protest against apples imported from Turkey.
Meanwhile, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) has announced the cancellation of its academic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yunus Emre Institute in Turkiye with immediate effect, Dr Mohd. Mustafa Ali, Public Relations Officer, said.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Thursday said that the central university has suspended a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkiye's Inonu University, given the concerns over national security, adding that the administration decided not to have relations with a country that "supports terror and stabs India in the back". (ANI)