Mysuru (Karnataka), Dec 31 (IANS): The members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRSS) and Hasiru Sene staged a protest near Mysuru Deputy Commissioner's office on Thursday, urging the state government to order a CBI probe into the allegations of adulteration of Nandini Ghee -- a product of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), a government enterprise.

The KRRS and Hasiru Sene are prominent organisations that take up the cause of farmers in Karnataka.

The protesters asked the state government to conduct a detailed inquiry regarding the unearthing of fake Nandini ghee manufacturing units in Mysuru, Bengaluru and several other districts. The racket was busted by the Police and the Food Safety and Control department recently.

The protestors alleged that insiders of KMF are involved with racketeers along with milk union officials. The protesters wanted the government to act swiftly by conducting a CBI probe into the allegations. Such measures are a must to protect the profit-making cooperative institution like milk unions across the state intact and it is also important to regain the faith of milk producers. The government should know that lakhs of farmers' families make livelihoods out of selling milk to KMF.

The protesters also demanded that the Mysuru Milk Union Limited authorities withdraw their order on restrictions of sale of raw milk from milk dairies or milk procurement centres from January 2023 as it is detrimental to the interest of primary milk producers cooperative society's across the district.

They shouted slogans against the authorities for being tight-lipped and not initiating any measures to curb the adulteration of Nandini ghee. The protestors demanded the government should book and punish the insiders and culprits involved in this racket.