Amid the row over Nandini vs Amul brand, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound Karnataka, on Sunday bought a Nandini ice cream from a store in Bengaluru and termed the brand “Karnataka’s pride”. Gandhi also termed Nandini, the flagship brand of Karnataka Milk Federation, the “best”.
The Congress leader’s move comes following the state party leaders’ endorsement of a local dairy brand, amid concerns about its acquisition by Gujarat’s Amul. Gandhi was accompanied by Congress state president DK Shivakumar and party general secretary KC Venugopal.
Gandhi later posted his photo on Twitter with a caption, “Karnataka’s Pride – NANDINI is the best!”
Reacting to Gandhi’s tweet, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Karnataka Tejasvi Surya requested the Congress leader to intervene in Kerala for the smooth sale of Nandini.
“Glad that Rahul Gandhi thinks Nandini is the best. There is no doubt about it. I request him to intervene in Kerala for smooth sale of Nandini. If not, this will be yet another gimmick. Waiting for Rahul Gandhi to make a public announcement in Kerala for free access to Nandini,” Surya tweeted.
The row involving the two unions began when Amul declared its plans to distribute its milk products in Bengaluru. The Congress and JD(S) opposition parties accused the BJP of attempting to eliminate Nandini by granting access to Amul in Karnataka.
Additionally, they voiced concerns that a shortage of Nandini items would be manufactured to pave the way for Amul’s dominance. The BJP government under Basavaraj Bommai, however, dismissed the allegations, claiming that Amul did not pose a danger to Nandini.
