New Delhi, Apr 9: The BJP on Sunday accused the Congress of unleashing a "misinformation campaign" over dairy cooperative Amul's presence in Karnataka and asserted that it has done far more than the opposition party to strengthen the Karnataka Milk Federation and its products sold under the brand name Nandini.

"Amul is NOT entering Karnataka. Both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms. KMF's turnover went up by (Rs) 10,000 crore after BJP came to power in 2019. In 2022, turnover stood at (Rs) 25,000 crore, of which (Rs) 20,000 crore went back to farmers of Karnataka," BJP IT department headed Amit Malviya tweeted.

His tweets came after Congress leader Siddaramaiah took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Amul's announcement of its plans to sell milk and curd in the Bengaluru market.

With Modi visiting the state on Sunday, the former Karnataka chief minister asked if the purpose of his trip was "to loot the state".

Malviya said, "There is a reason why India doesn't TRUST Congress. They LIE! Latest being the misinformation campaign that Karnataka Milk Federation, which owns Nandini, is going to merge with Amul."

The BJP has done far more to strengthen KMF and make Nandini a global brand.

KMF is the nation's second largest milk cooperative and has depots in Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

The BJP leader said, "15 per cent of KMF's total sales is outside Karnataka. Nandini is exported to Singapore, UAE and many other countries. Amul and KMF are NOT merging."

He also claimed that Amul, owned by Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation, is not entering Karnataka and that both Amul and KMF sell their products across quick-commerce platforms.

He added, "Under the BJP, Karnataka is a milk surplus state. Dairy farmers are doing very well. Congress, which is shedding crocodile tears for brand Nandini, opposed the anti-cow slaughter bill, approved of our nandinis being slaughtered. BJP plans to make Nandini a bigger brand."

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Nagpur, Jan 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar praised the RSS after realising how the outfit managed to overcome the fake narrative spread by the opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The opposition had claimed BJP wanted to win 400 seats to change the Constitution and end reservations, a narrative which BJP leaders later claimed hit the party hard.

On Pawar praising the RSS recently, the CM said the MVA was successful in creating a fake narrative during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"When assembly polls were approaching, many people from diverse fields who are inspired by the RSS played their role and burst the balloon of this fake narrative. Sharad Pawar saheb is very intelligent. He would have certainly studied this aspect. He realised that this (RSS) is not a regular political power but a nationalist power. In any competition it is good to praise others," he added.

That is why Pawar may have praised the RSS, Fadnavis said.

Speaking at an interaction with senior editor Vivek Ghalsasi at Late Vilasji Fadnis Jivhala programme here, Fadnavis also said he had asked for organisational work when Eknath Shinde was made chief minister in June 2022, but senior leaders asked him to join the government.

He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him not to behave like an extra-constitutional authority in the government.

He said the decision to become deputy chief minister on the command of the party leadership earned him a lot of praise from the cadre.

After the massive mandate the ruling alliance received in the 2024 assembly polls, Fadnavis said people and party workers would not have been happy if the CM was not from the BJP.

Shinde himself agreed within minutes that the CM must be from the BJP, which itself got 132 seats and was close to a majority of its own in the 288-member assembly, he added.

On Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray meeting him during the winter sessions of the legislature in Nagpur, Fadnavis said he had announced he would not indulge in politics of revenge after becoming CM and all leaders responded positively to it.

On chances of the NCP (SP) and NCP coming closer or reuniting, Fadnavis said, "If you see the developments that took place from 2019 to 2024, I realised never say never and anything can happen. Uddhav Thackeray goes to some other party and Ajit Pawar comes to us. In politics anything can happen though I am not saying this should happen."

He praised BJP leader Arun Gujarati from whom he learnt patience, which he claimed was an important quality in politics along with the ability to take criticism.

In a lighter vein, he said, "I only get angry when I am hungry. If you see me angry then give me something to eat and my anger will go away."