"Systematic conspiracy by BJP to destroy Nandini brand," says JD (S) leader Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 8 : Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that Amul will take away the share of milk producers of the state and there is a systematic conspiracy to destroy the local Nandini brand.

After Amul announced its launch of operations in Karnataka on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy stated that Amul is indebted to Karnataka and it is ruining the cooperative system in the state by giving unhealthy competition to Karnataka Milk Federation.

In a series of tweets, he mentioned that it is the plot of the BJP to ruin the Nandini brand and help grow the market share of Amul in the state.

"Now there is a third plot to finish the lifeline of Kannadigas Nandini. Plot one is the merger of Nandini with Amul which is the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Plot two is to print the Hindi word 'dahi' on the curd box. Both plots failed due to strong opposition from Kannadigas. The central government through Amul is going to make the 3rd plot successful," he tweeted.

He further said that Amul is desperate to compete with the Nandini brand in the state.

"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 mentioned that BJP is trying to harm the milk producers of the state and their silence creates suspicion in this matter.

"It is clear that Amul is doing unnecessary competition with KMF and trying to trample Nandini day by day. Unhealthy competition between well-known sister orgzations in the cooperative sector is not in anyone's interest. KMF directly buys milk from farmers through cooperative societies in thousands of villages in the state. 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.

He also requested the people of Karnataka to consume products sold by the Nandini brand on priority and said that the BJP government should immediately stop the sale of Amul's milk packet in the state.

"As Kannadigas, we should wake up immediately and protect the interests of the farmers of the state who depend on Nandini as a priority. Our people-consumers should use only Nandini products on priority to save the lives of the farmers of the state. The double-engine BJP government here should wake up and immediately stop the sale of Amul's packet milk in the state. Amul is stealthily coming through the back door at the insistence of the Centre. Kannadigas should erupt against KMF and Amul which is putting a noose on the neck of farmers," he tweeted.

Earlier Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that there should no politics over the entry of Amul into the state.

"Nandini will become the number one brand in the country but there must be no politics regarding Amul," Bommai said.