Tables Turned As Now Karnataka BJP Alleges Congress' Role In Stopping Nandini Ghee Supply For Famous Tirupati Laddoos

The tables are being turned as the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), previously accused by the Congress of allowing the entry of Amul in Karnataka to threaten the local Nandini dairy brand ahead of the assembly polls, is now retaliating.

BJP state president Nalinkumar Kateel has accused the Congress of hindering the supply of Nandini ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) due to their alleged indifference towards Hindu beliefs and devotion.

The TTD regularly issues a tender for ghee to produce the renowned Tirupati laddoos, which are offered to devotees as 'prasadam'.

BJP leader C T Ravi has further claimed that the state government's decision to increase the price of Nandini milk has made the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), the owner of the brand, uncompetitive in the bid process.

The Karnataka cabinet recently granted permission for KMF to raise the price of Nandini milk by Rs 3 per litre, effective from 1 August.

In response, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated that the supply of Nandini ghee to the TTD has not occurred for the past year-and-a-half. He questioned whether the BJP, which was in power during that time, can be considered "anti-Hindu devotion".

According to KMF officials, the chief minister's claim has been verified.

They stated that the most recent supply of Nandini ghee to the temple in Andhra Pradesh occurred in 2021.

The officials also mentioned that the last tender process took place in March of this year, during the BJP's tenure in power.

Yesterday, Kateel tweeted a quote from a TV9 Kannada report, accusing the Congress government of halting the supply of KMF ghee for Tirupati laddoos.

In the tweet, he stated, "Nandini ghee supply for Tirupati laddoos has been stopped due to @INCKarnataka policy of indifference towards temple, and Hindu beliefs and devotion. 50 years of legacy with Tirupati is watered down and this proves @siddaramaiah's policy of indifference towards Hindus."

Ravi using a report from The New Indian Express also tweeted, "The Congress shamelessly politicised Nandini issue during the assembly elections and milked it to malign Amul...  Thanks to the incompetent Congress government, Nandini will no longer supply ghee to prepare the famous Tirupati laddoos. It is very evident that Congress is bent on destroying Suvarna Karnataka to pursue its agenda".

In response to the BJP, the Chief Minister tweeted that the supply of Nandini ghee to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh was not stopped recently. The suspension of ghee supply to Tirupati occurred one-and-a-half years ago during the tenure of the BJP government in Karnataka.

Siddaramaiah questioned whether the previous BJP government opposed Hindu religious beliefs and devotion or if it was former chief minister, B S Bommai, who was anti-Hindu. He directed this question to Kateel.

He further added that "The life of the dairy farmers is important to us along with the religious faith of the people. Therefore, if the Tirupati temple agrees to give the price we ask for, in the interest of the state's farmers, we have no problem in supplying ghee."

According to Bheema Nayak, chairperson of KMF, the Nandini brand is renowned for its quality and cannot compromise on price. Therefore, the organisation has decided to opt out of the tender process.

KMF officials have stated that the tender process takes place every six months and was last conducted in March of this year.

They have further clarified that a price increase in August will not have any impact on the tendering process in March.

In 2005, KMF began supplying Nandini ghee to the TTD, and their bid was partially successful in 2021, securing 35 per cent of the supply contract after negotiations.

However, their bid in 2022 was unsuccessful, and they chose not to bid in 2023, as confirmed by a senior official.

Dharma Reddy, the chief executive officer of TTD, has confirmed that KMF did not participate in the last auction held in March 2023.

He also mentioned that all items, including ghee for laddoos, are procured through e-tenders, and the contract is awarded to the lowest bidder who meets the quality standards set by the TTD.

Prior to the assembly polls in Karnataka, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) expressed concerns about the potential threat to the Nandini brand if Amul were to enter the state market.

The BJP in turn accused the Congress of spreading false information and emphasised that it has made greater efforts than the other parties to enhance the KMF.