Amid the massive controversy that has erupted between the two milk brands, Amul and Nandini in the state of Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited a local store in Bengaluru and purchased Nandini ice-cream further referring to the brand as ‘Karnataka’s pride’.
He further pointed out that Nandini, the premier brand of the Karnataka Milk Federation, is the ‘best’. The Congress leader’s action comes after state party officials supported the locally produced dairy company out of concern that Gujarat’s Amul might acquire it.
In a video that went viral over the internet, the former MP entered the store with state party leader DK Shivakumar and general secretary KC Venugopal. Gandhi could also be seen holding an ice cream cone from the local Nandini ice cream parlor.
#KarnatakaAssemblyElections | Amid row over the entry of Amul in the state, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, state party chief DK Shivakumar and general secretary KC Venugopal visited Nandani Milk parlour in JP Nagar, Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/JzfJrTP5uf
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023
Rahul Gandhi also posted his picture while he shopped at the local ice cream and captioned the picture by saying, “Karnataka’s Pride – NANDINI is the best!”. However, the action by the former MP was not welcomed by the netizens who criticized the leader for seeking opportunity ahead of the elections and playing the drama of praising the Karnataka-based milk brand.
Karnataka’s Pride – NANDINI is the best! pic.twitter.com/Ndez8finup
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 16, 2023
One of the users posted excerpts of Gandhi’s old speech from Anand, Gujarat where the leader had praised the Gujarat-based Amul brand amid the state assembly elections then. The user stated that Gandhi had praised Amul during the Gujarat elections and now he was praising Nandini during the Karnataka elections. “All this divide for votes only,” he said.
Election in Gujarat Amul best
— Lala (@FabulasGuy) April 16, 2023
Election in Karnataka Nandini best
All this divide for votes only pic.twitter.com/ptoY8wYyar
Another user meanwhile cross-questioned the leader and indicated that if Nandini was so best, why were Amul products being sold in the Congress-ruled state of Rajasthan instead of Nandini? One Rahul Gupta also claimed that the leader was praising the Nandin milk brand only for politics. “When in Gujarat, Amul is Best. Divide and Rule Policy has been History of Congress,” he said indicating that Gandhi was fueling the controversy by taking a biased stance on the issue.
Rajasthan mein Amul kyon bikta hai?
— Arun Arora (@Arun2981) April 16, 2023
When in Gujarat, Amul is Best , Divide & Rule Policy , History of Congress
— Rahul Gupta🇮🇳 (@RahulGuptav) April 16, 2023
One of the users meanwhile alleged that the Congress party was promoting regionalism amid the elections. Also, a user quoted Gandhi’s tweet and said that the leader was just being a hypocrite. He said that the state of Kerala, Wayanad (Gandhi’s constituency) was opposing Nandini’s entry into Kerala and here, the leader was showering praises on the milk brand.
Congis promote such cheap Regionalism and then get phased out by local parties .
— randheer_final (@randheer_final) April 16, 2023
And your wayand (Kerala) opposing Nandini's entry in to Kerala. Man of Hypocrisy? @RahulGandhi https://t.co/AkjW66B8xc
— Pramod (@pvrhere) April 17, 2023
Earlier it was reported that Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), also known by the brand name Milma, expressed grave concern regarding the propensity of some State milk marketing federations of entering markets outside of their respective state. The KCMMF claimed that the action violated the cooperative ethos on which the country’s dairy industry has been set up for the betterment of millions of milk farmers.
Milma Chairman K.S. Mani stated that Amul’s (Gujarat Milk Cooperative Federation) initiative to advertise its staple goods in Karnataka has encountered stiff opposition from state competitors but the Karnataka Milk Marketing Federation has lately opened its stores to sell its Nandini brand of milk and other goods in several areas of Kerala. “This is a highly unethical practice which defeats the very purpose of India’s dairy movement and will harm the interests of the farmers,” he said.
The milk saga began on April 5 after Amul’s official Twitter handle posted an infographic about its entry into Karnataka. The Congress in the state of Karnataka, ahead of the state assembly elections grabbed the opportunity to spread misleading information concerning Amul’s acquisition of the state’s local dairy brand Nandini. The matter escalated and grew into a full-fledged controversy and then Congress started milking it further for political gains.
While the Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah attempted to inflame regional tensions among Karnataka voters before the state elections using the Amul-Nandini controversy, he probably forgot that Amul had already expanded its footprints in the state when he was at the helm of affairs in 2017. As reported earlier, Amul entered Karnataka in 2017 when the Congress was in power in the state and Siddaramaiah himself was the CM.
The incumbent Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai however last week clarified that his government had taken all kinds of measures to make Nandini number one at the national level. He also stated that Karnataka was also going to other states and marketing and that the state will do all required to put Amul behind in the competition.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi recently finished the Congress’ so-called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which aimed at uniting India and coming together to strengthen our nation. The Yatra began on September 7 last year from Kanyakumari and passed through 12 states, culminating in Jammu and Kashmir – spanning a distance of 4000 plus km over about 136 days. However, the aim of the Yatra and the Congress party seems to have failed as the former MP could be seen creating a divide between the two crucial states over milk brands ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka.
