No merger of Karnataka's dairy brand Nandini with Amul: CM Bommai

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai ruled out the merger of Karnataka's popular dairy brand Nandini with Amul after a row broke out over Home Minister Amit Shah's comments on the state's milk cooperative

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday ruled out the merger of Karnataka's popular dairy brand Nandini with Amul after a row broke out over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments on the state's milk cooperative.

He was replying to a query on Congress state president D K Shivakumar's apprehension that Nandini could be merged with Gujarat's Amul based on Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah's visit to Nandini's facility in Mandya.

Bommai said Nandini will always maintain its separate identity in "the coming hundreds of years". "The merger of Nandini with Amul is a wrong imagination. What to say about those who comment on based on their whims and fancies?" the Chief Minister told reporters here.

Shah had clearly said that Nandini and Amul to cooperate in the area of technology and marketing, Bommai added.

"Shah had said these two big companies should complement each other but that does not mean there should be a merger. The Nandini brand will remain as a separate entity permanently for hundreds of years," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said Shah had stated there will be benefits if both of brands worked together in some sector.

Nandini or Amul can exchange their best practices and expertise in specific areas such as technology or administration, Bommai said.

"The Union Minister's statement must not be misunderstood and politicised. As a Chief Minister, I am saying that the Nandini brand will be a separate identity forever," he told reporters.