As outrage over Amul’s possible entry into Karnataka grows, opposition leaders have lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP members. Congress and JD(S) have termed the company’s ‘launch alert’ as a ‘threat’ to Karnataka Milk Federation’s famous dairy brand ‘Nandini’. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the other party was trying to politicize 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?” Are you?” Siddaramaiah tweeted.
He also touched on rumors about a possible merger between the two companies, saying the state’s milk production has been affected since Home Minister Amit Shah “talked about the possibility”.
“It was Baroda Bank of Gujarat that took over the membership of our Vijaya Bank. The ports and airports were handed over to Adani of Gujarat. Now, Gujarat’s Amul is planning to eat our KMF (Nandini). Mr Narendra Modi, are we the enemy of Gujaratis?
The former chief minister had also met CM Bommai earlier this week and asked him to immediately intervene in the matter and stop Amul from “entering through the back door”.
“A new wave of freshness is coming to Bengaluru with milk and curd. More details coming soon. Launch Alert. From Kengeri to Whitefield, Happy Taza Divas to all,” Amul had tweeted three days ago, sparking outrage in several quarters.
As politicians fumed, Siddaramaiah also called upon Kannadigas to take a ‘pledge not to buy Amul products’.
Read also: Why is Amul brand facing opposition, opposition from local people in Karnataka? Explained
Another former CM – JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy – alleged that there was a systematic conspiracy to destroy the local Nandini brand.
“Amul is desperate to give competition to 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 infiltrating through the back door.”
He urged the people of the state to “use only Nandini products on priority to save the lives of farmers”, accusing Amul of “sneaking in through the backdoor at the behest of the Centre”.
“It is clear that Amul is unnecessarily competing with KMF and trying to trample Nandini day by day… It is clear that the BJP’s double engine government is trying to push the milk producers of our state to the streets and Trying to enslave them.” Gujaratis. Despite all this, the silence of the BJP government in the state and the inaction of the KMF have raised many doubts,” he tweeted.
(with inputs from agencies)
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