The Amul ad in Karnataka that triggered the row.
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, whose products are 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 head 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 PM Modi visiting the state on Sunday, the former Karnataka chief minister asked if the purpose of his trip was "to loot the state".
Mr 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."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)