Bengaluru: 

Speaking to reporters Shivakumar said when the BMRCL floated tenders inviting bids for opening shops at metro stations, only AMUL participated and got the kiosks allocated. "Now that two kiosks have been opened, it is not right on our part to press for their closure. So we have asked the BMRCL to allocate shops for KMF (Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Limited) to sell Nandini products at the remaining eight metro stations," Shivakumar said.

As per the newsletter issued by the BMRCL on June 16, AMUL kiosks were to come up at Pattandur Agrahara, Indiranagar, Benniganahalli, Byappanahalli, Trinity, Sir M Visvesvaraya, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station, National College, Jayanagar and Banashankari stations.

After a political row over the opening of kiosks of Gujarat-based AMUL at 10 Metro stations in Bengaluru erupted, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday directed the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to provide space for opening shops of Nandini milk products at metro stations.

AMUL milk products are considered to be a direct competition for the state-owned Nandini brand of dairy products and there has been an opposition by Kannadigas for AMUL to enter the state's market. "BMRCL signed a licence agreement with Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation better known as AMUL to set up kiosks at stations. These kiosks will sell the entire range of AMUL's dairy products, chocolates, potato-based snacks, organic products and edible oils," the newsletter said.

Opposing the decision to allow AMUL products to be sold at metro stations, the JDS led by Union Minister H D Kumaraswami accused Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister of 'selling his self respect for the sake of commission' and demanded the withdrawal of the decision.

"Shivakumar's double standards have been exposed. Before the (Karnataka) Assembly polls, Congress had launched the 'Save Nandini' campaign, extending their support to KMF. But now, Shivakumar is inviting companies from outside Karnataka,’" it alleged.

The JDS was referring to the Congress' campaign in 2023 against the then BJP government of promoting AMUL over Nandini. In 2023, just before the assembly polls in Karnataka, AMUL had announced its plans to sell its milk and curds in Karnataka. Congress which was in opposition then had made it an election issue and built a narrative that the BJP government was laying a red carpet welcome to AMUL while neglecting the interest of the local farmers.

Prior to this, Union Minister Amit Shah's call in 2022 for greater cooperation between the KMF, the promoter of Nandini and AMUL had also triggered a speculation that Shah was aiming at merging the two and the Congress was in the forefront to oppose Shah's statement.

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