Stroking controversy, Dilip Sanghani a senior BJP leader from Gujarat and a former state agriculture minister has accused Dr Verghese Kurien, who is hailed as the ¡®Father of India¡¯s White Revolution¡¯ of using Amul's profits to funds Christian Evangelists.
Speaking at an event to felicitate a group of bikers, who have embarked on a 3,000 km rally from various places to commemorate the 97th birth anniversary of India¡¯s Milkman he even went on to claim that Kurien was not the founder of Amul.
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¡°Amul was founded by Tribhuvandas Patel, but does the country know about Tribhuvandas Patel? The money that Gujarat¡¯s farmers and cattle rearers collected through their hard work, he (Kurien) donated it for religious conversions in Dangs (South Gujarat),¡± he said.
Sanghani also claimed that details about Kurien's donations can be checked from Amul¡¯s records adding that when he was the minister the issue had come to his notice.
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Later, speaking to media persons Sanghani clarified that Kurien started as an employee of Amul. He got more importance than Tribhuvandas Patel, who had founded Amul at Sardar Patel's behest. The contribution of Tribhuvandas Patel has been forgotten.
Reacting to Sanghani's comment, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF) chairman Ram Singh Parmar said, "We don't want to reply to such a bogus statement."
BCCL
Even Kurien's family has rejected the claims and termed the allegations as laughable.
According to his family, Kurien, who was born in a Syrian Christian family in Kerala has lived his life as an atheist.?
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They also pointed out that in 2012, when Kurien died at the age of 90, he was cremated at a Hindu crematorium in Anand, as per his wish.
Kurien is credited of revolutionizing dairy farming in the country with "Operation Flood" transformed India into the largest milk producer in the world.