Congress hates Amul as it's from Gujarat: BJP's Tejasvi Surya
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tejasvi Surya has claimed the controversy around Amul versus Nandini, a local dairy brand from Karnataka, was "fake" and that the Congress was using it to fuel its poll campaign. Furthermore, the Bengaluru (South) MP alleged the opposition had to create non-existent issues as it was frustrated over the possibility of losing the upcoming Karnataka polls next month.
Why does this story matter?
This new controversy erupted ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls on May 10, which are expected to be a close face-off between the Congress and the BJP, with the Janata Dal (Secular) emerging as a possible kingmaker. Notably, the ruling saffron brigade took power in July 2019 by deposing the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government, which was elected in the 2018 Assembly elections.
'Why only target Amul?' asks Surya
During an interview with News18, Surya stated, "If you (Congress) have a problem with Amul, then you should also have problems with brands like Arokya, Heritage from Tamil Nadu, Thirumala and Dodla from Andhra." "People of Karnataka clearly know...it is not love for Nandini, but their hate towards Amul as it is from Gujarat, and Amit Shah and Narendra Modi are from Gujarat."
Surya demands explanation from Congress's Siddaramaiah
The BJP leader also stated that Amul had been a brand operating for decades in Karnataka, unlike the allegations of the opposition. Surya also asked Congress leader Siddaramaiah to be answerable to the people of the state regarding his actions to improve the health and growth of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which sells its products under the Nandini brand.
Origin of Amul v/s Nandini controversy
The Nandini versus Amul controversy exploded after Amul's official social media handles shared a series of posters last week saying, "The #Amul family brings in some taaza into #Bengaluru city. More updates coming in soon. #LaunchAlert." Karnataka politicians were quick to pick up on this and started using hashtags like #SaveNandini and #GoBackAmul in their social media posts.
Here's how opposition reacted to Nandini versus Amul controversy
Commenting on the Nandini versus Amul controversy, Congress leader Siddaramaiah appealed to Kannadigas to boycott Amul and "support Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which is the livelihood of millions of dairy farming families in the country." Meanwhile, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy also stated, "Amul is holding the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and the farmers in a stranglehold." "Kanandiagas should rebel against Amul," he added.
Shah's earlier comments on Amul and KMF
The alleged origins of the controversy can be traced back to December 2022, when Shah, while inaugurating a mega-dairy unit of KMF in Mandya, said, "Amul and KMF will work together toward ensuring there is a primary dairy in Karnataka's every village." "In 47 years, Karnataka has progressed in the dairy sector... Amul and KMF have to work together to boost the cooperative dairy."
