Amul vs Nandini takes on political hue in poll-bound Karnataka as Congress slams PM Modi

Outrage over Amul's possible entry into Karnataka continues to grow, with opposition leaders lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other members of the BJP. The Congress and JD(S) has dubbed the company's ‘launch alert’ a "threat" to Karnataka Milk Federation's famed dairy brand ‘Nandini’. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the other party was attempting to politicise Amul's entry into Karnataka.

"Is your (PM Modi's) purpose of coming to Karnataka to give to Karnataka or to loot from Karnataka? You have already stolen banks, ports and airports from Kannadigas. Are you now trying to steal Nandini (KMF) from us?" Siddaramaiah tweeted.

He also touched upon rumours about a possible merger between the two companies, contending that the state's milk production had been affected since Home Minister Amit Shah ‘spoke about the possibility’.

“It was Gujarat's Baroda Bank that subsumed our Vijaya Bank. Ports and Airports were handed over to Gujarat's Adani. Now, Amul from Gujarat is planning to eat our KMF (Nandini). Mr Narendra Modi, Are we the enemies for Gujaratis?” he asked.

The former Chief Minister had also called on CM Bommai earlier this week, asking him to immediately intervene into the matter and stop Amul from “entering through the back door”.

“A new wave of freshness with milk and curd is coming to Bengaluru. More information coming soon. Launch Alert. From Kengeri to Whitefield, wishing everyone a Taaza day,” Amul had tweeted three days ago, prompting outrage from several quarters.

As politicians fumed Siddaramaiah also called for Kannadigas to ‘pledge not to buy Amul products’.

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Another former CM - JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy - alleged that there was a systematic conspiracy to destroy the local Nandini brand. 

“Amul is desperate to disrupt its only competitor Nandini in Karnataka. 'One country, one Amul, one milk, one Gujarat' is the official policy of the central government. KMF is strangling Amul. Now Amul is intruding through the back door,” he tweeted.

He also urged people in the state to 'use only Nandini products on priority to save the lives of the famers' accusing Amul of 'stealthily coming through the backdoor at the insistence of the Centre'. 

"It is clear that Amul is doing unnecessary competition with KMF and trying to trample Nandini day by day….It is clear that the BJP double-engine government is trying to push the milk producers of our state to the streets and make them slaves of Gujaratis. Despite all this, the state's BJP government's silence and KMF's inaction have led to many doubts," he tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)