Amul-Nandini row: Toolkit of Congress, JDS for state assembly election, says BJP leader

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 10 (ANI): Amid speculations of Karnataka Milk Federation's famed dairy brand 'Nandini' merging with Gujarat-based dairy cooperative Amul, State BJP MLC Chalavadi T Narayanaswamy on Monday said that the issue is a part of the "false propaganda" of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).
The senior BJP leader said that this (fear of Nandini merging with Gujarat's Amul) is the new toolkit of the opposition parties for the upcoming State Assembly elections.
"We are not pushing Amul in the place of Nandini. The government has never taken such a decision. This is false propaganda of Congress and JD(S) together. They are doing this because this is the toolkit of both parties for the upcoming election," the BJP leader said.
"Our product Nandini is an international product and we have our sales in half of the country also. So we cannot merge both together. This is totally rubbish what JD(S) and Congress president DK Shivakumar is claiming is totally a political gimmick," he told ANI.
Amul had recently announced that it will sell dairy products in Bengaluru following which Opposition Congress and the JD(S) expressed their protest.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit out at the Congress for running a "misinformation campaign." State BJP general secretary Ravi Kumar stated that Nandini is on number two position in India ever since BJP came to power in Karnataka.
"Nandini is in number two position in the whole country, so in the coming days, we will also export to different countries, this is our idea. Nandini products are supplied in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Nandini's milk is also used to make laddoos in Tirupati temple," added Ravi Kumar.
BJP state general secretary Aswathnarayan said that former chief ministers Siddaramaiah of the Congress and HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S) along with some others like DK Shivakumar had been over the past few days spreading misinformation and "hulla gulla."
BJP leader Amit Malviya had on Sunday tweeted, "There is a reason why India doesn't TRUST Congress. They LIE! Latest being the misinformation campaign that Karnataka Milk Federation, which owns Nandini, is going to merge with Amul. Here are the facts - BJP has done far more to strengthen KMF and make Nandini a global brand," tweeted BJP leader Amit Malviya.
Malviya in a series of tweets clarified that Amul will not be entering Karnataka and both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms.
"Amul is NOT entering Karnataka - Both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms - KMF's turnover went up by 10,000 crore after BJP came to power in 2019. In 2022, turnover stood at 25,000 crore, of which 20,000 crore went back to farmers of Karnataka," he Tweeted.
His statement comes on the heels of Karnataka Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader Siddaramaiah tweet on Sunday that the State's milk product was affected since the day union cooperative minister Amit Shah spoke about the possibility of a merger between the Karnataka Milk Federation and Amul.
"KMF is nation's second largest milk cooperative - KMF has depots in Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. 15 per cent of KMF's total sales is outside Karnataka - Nandini is exported to Singapore, UAE and many other countries - Amul and KMF are NOT merging," tweeted Malviya.
Malviya further stated that under the BJP government, Karnataka has become a milk surplus state and that the dairy farms are doing very well.
"Under the BJP, Karnataka is a milk surplus state. Dairy farmers are doing very well. - Congress, which is shedding crocodile tears for brand Nandini, opposed the anti-cow slaughter bill, approved of our nandinis being slaughtered - BJP plans to make Nandini a bigger brand," he tweeted. (ANI)