Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said the state government cannot go against the interest of farmers by supplying Nandini ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) for a lesser price. Responding to state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel's allegations of “indifference towards temples and Hindu devotion” by the Congress government, the chief minister said that the Karnataka Milk Federation had stopped supplying ghee around a year ago when the BJP was in power.
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After KMF president Bhima Nayak said that the TTD found a new ghee supplier to make Tirupati Laddus, Kateel tweeted, “Nandini's ghee supply to Tirupati Laddu has been stopped due to @INCKarnataka policy of indifference towards temples and Hindu devotion. 50 years of legacy with Tirupati is watered down and the anti-Hindu policy of @siddaramaiah is the proof.”
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah replied, “The supply of ghee to Tirupati was suspended one and a half years ago by the@BJP4Karnataka govt. Honorable Member of Parliament @nalinkateel, please tell me now whether the previous ruling BJP government is against Hindu religion? Or was then Chief Minister @BSBommai is only anti-Hindu?”
{{/usCountry}}Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah replied, “The supply of ghee to Tirupati was suspended one and a half years ago by the@BJP4Karnataka govt. Honorable Member of Parliament @nalinkateel, please tell me now whether the previous ruling BJP government is against Hindu religion? Or was then Chief Minister @BSBommai is only anti-Hindu?”
{{/usCountry}}Siddaramaiah also further said that if TTD agrees with the quoted price, the KMF is ready to supply ghee to make Tirupati Laddus. “The life of the dairy farmers is important to us along with the religious faith of the people. Therefore, if the Tirupati temple agrees to give the price we ask for in the interest of the farmers of the country, we have no problem in supplying ghee.”
Speaking to reporters at Ballari recently, KMF president Bhima Nayak said, “I think that the laddus will not be the same anymore. I can also assure you that Nandini provides the best ghee on the market and goes through all quality checks. If any brand is supplying ghee for a lesser price than Nandini, I assume that the quality will be compromised.”
Nandini was reportedly supplying ghee to make Tirupati laddus for over 50 years now.