Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said Nandini does not need to be afraid of any brand and that it has got all products to take on Amul. He said if Amul tries to make Mysore Pak, a popular sweet dish in Karnataka, then Nandini will make Shrikhand - a traditional dessert in Gujarat. "Nandini has got all the products that Amul has. If Amul tries to make Mysore Pak, we will make Shrikhand of Gujarat. So we are not going to sit quiet," Bommai said while speaking at India Today Karnataka Roundtable.
A controversy has broken out in the poll-bound Karnataka over Amul's entry in Karnataka. The Congress believes that the BJP government is favouring Gujarat-based Amul to enter Karnataka, but the move it claims will hurt Nandini - which is operated by a state-owned cooperative, the Karnataka Milk Federation.
However, the BJP claims that Amul has been operating in Karnataka for years.
Bommai on Saturday targeted former chief minister Siddaramaiah and said that milk procurement has increased under the BJP government in the last five years. "Nobody speaks on this aspect with confidence like I am saying. The reason is when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister here, the milk production and the production of milk products were 64 lakh litres only. During my time, it has gone to 84 lakh (litre). Shortly, we are going to overtake Amul. Nandini has got all the products that Amul has," he said.
Bommai also noted that the current controversy is a political bogey. He claimed that there were at least 25 brands entering Karnataka from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. He added that he had sanctioned two mega-dairies for Nandini and that people should not see politics in milk, water, or air.
"Amul was at its peak during Siddaramaiah's time. He did not see the danger to Nandini then. Nandini is very strong and it does not need to be afraid of any brand. There are at least 25 brands entering Karnataka from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Nandini is growing every day. I have sanctioned two mega-dairies for Nandini. These people see politics in milk, water air. That's the desperation," the chief minister said.
Responding to the allegations, Siddaramaiah, who also attended the roundtable earlier in the day, commented that he would urge people not to buy Amul milk if he were to become the chief minister. He stated that Amul should stick to its present consumer base and not enter Karnataka to cause injustice to the local farmers.
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