Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 8 : Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Friday called on the people of Karnataka and said that "all Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products" over speculations of a merger between the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and Gujarat's Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul).
"All the Kannadigas have to unmously resist the usurpation of the KMF, which is built for the welfare of the farmers of the country. All Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products", Siddaramaiah said.
He further stated, "In addition to language treason by the imposition of Hindi and land treason by trespassing within the state borders, now the BJP government is going to betray the farmers by shutting down Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which is the livelihood of millions of dairy farming families in the country."
Siddaramaiah also called on Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai asking him to immediately intervene into the matter and stop Amul from "entering through the back door." In this regard, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah should bring the referendum of the state to his attention and stop this treacherous thinking, he added.
The former CM also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and alleged that it was the weak leadership of BJP in the state which is the direct cause of the KMF's present dying condition.
"Banks built by our elders in Karnataka were eaten up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah have hatched a plan to adopt Nandini, who is now a Sanjeevini of the farmers. Watch out mirrors...!! The state's dairy industry has been rocked ever since Amit Shah, who is also the Union Cooperation Minister, proposed the merger of KMF and Amul. Amul is entering through the back door in the face of strong Kannadigas opposition to the merger proposal", Siddaramaiah said.
He added that Nandini milk and yoghurt have been disappearing in the state for the past few days. At the same time, sales of Amul products have started with a bang.
"Gujarat-based Amul had earlier tried to enter the Karnataka market by selling milk and yoghurt. We did not allow it. Now the BJP has extended a red carpet welcome. Milk stock in KMF is decreasing during BJP regime. Where 99 lakh litres of milk should be collected per day, only 71 lakh litres of milk is being collected. Is this a conspiracy against KMF?", he asked.
Siddaramaiah further said, "Our government had increased the subsidy on milk by Rs 5 per litre. Due to this, the quantity of milk produced in 2012-13 increased to 73 lakh litres by 2017 from 45 lakh litres. What is the reason for the decline now? Our government has given 1,356 crore rupees to farmers for milk subsidy in five years. But the BJP government spent 1186 crores in 2020-21 but provided only 1200 crores in the budget for 2023-24 and did injustice to the farmers."
"The BJP leadership in Karnataka is so weak that on one hand, the Maharashtra government is trying to establish its rule directly in the Belgaum border region. On the other hand, the state of Gujarat is trying to push the farmers to the streets through Amul", he added.
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