Why Amul is at the centre of latest BJP vs Congress flashpoint in poll-bound Karnataka

A series of tweets from Amul announcing the launch of its online delivery services in Bengaluru has led to a political flurry with Congress accusing the the BJP government in Karnataka of trying to finish the state's local dairy brand, Nandini.

Congress and JD(S) have demanded that Cooperation Minister Amit Shah conduct a referendum in Karnataka on whether Amul should be allowed to enter the state's market.

There are also speculations of a merger between Karnataka Milk Federation which owns Nandini and Gujarat-based Amul.

This just days after the India's food regulatory body faced backlash for ordering milk federations in the south to add the Hindi word 'Dahi' on their packets followed by the local language word for curd in brackets. The order was withdrawn after a massive opposition to imposition of Hindi.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah has urged all Kannadigas not buy Amul products. He said the BJP is trying to betray dairy farmers by shutting down Karnataka Milk Federation

Former chief minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy said that 'one nation, one Amul, one milk and one Gujarat' has become the official policy of the Modi govt.

Seeking to assauge concerns and firefight the controversy, chief minister Basavraj Bommai has said that there is no need to be afraid of Amul since Nandini is an established brand and his govt will take all steps to give the Gujarat-based dairy a tough competition. He also added his govt has taken several steps to for Nandini's growth.

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar accused the Congress of creating a narrative where Amul is seen as BJP and Nandini as Congress.

Not just politicians, common citizens too are opposing the Amul move. An association of hotel owners in Bengaluru has decided to use only Nandini milk to support local dairy farmers.

Hashtags like #GoBackAmul and #SaveNandini have also been trending on Twitter