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Amid Amul vs Nandini in Karnataka, Congress MP shares ‘chronology of control’
The ruling BJP in Karnataka and the opposition Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) have been engaged in a war of words over Amul's entry in the state.
Amid a political row over Amul versus Karnataka's Nandini brand, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday attacked Union home minister Amit Shah, who also holds the portfolio of the ministry of co-operation, alleging that the entry of Amul products in the southern state was a “pretext to merge dairy co-ops into a multi-state cooperative under his command & control.”
Ramesh said in a statement that the previous Congress-led governments at the Centre helped nurture the network of cooperatives in each state to empower dairy power. He alleged that the Union minister of co-operation “imagines a small collection of centralised organizations under his direct command and control”, citing Shah's earlier announcement that Amul will merge with five other cooperative societies to form a multi-state cooperative society.
The Congress MP also shared a chronology related to the ministry and said PM Modi and his government are “following their usual practice” of “establishing their total control, ignoring the Constitution which clearly demarcates cooperative societies as a state subject.”
"The Congress party will not allow the time to come when the BJP may raise the slogan of "One Nation, One Milk". In its election campaign in Karnataka, and in political activities across the country, the Congress party will explain to people the sinister agenda behind these moves, and our resolve to oppose them through all possible democratic means," he said.
In a show of support for Nandini, Congress Karnataka chief D K Shivakumar on Monday visited one of its milk parlours in the Hasan district of Karnataka.
"We already have Nandini which is a better brand than Amul...We don't need any Amul...our water, our milk, and our soil is strong," Shivakumar told ANI.
Karnataka chief minister accused Congress and JD(S) of doing 'politics' over it.
"Nandini is a very good brand of our State...Congress and JD(S) are doing politics at the time of elections," Bommai said.
