The prime minister solely credited Karnataka for his government's announcement of the 'Sri Anna' scheme to popularise millets across India.
“Who can forget the taste of ragi mudde and ragi rotti?,” Modi said. He received a cheerful response from the audience.
“We named this scheme ‘Sri Anna’ based on Karnataka's ‘Siri Dhaanya’. People in Karnataka understand the importance of 'thick food grains' (millets). That's the reason you all call it 'Siri Dhaanya'. The country is taking forward millets by respecting the sentiment of the people of Karnataka,” the PM said.
Modi pointed out that Karnataka had been producing ragi (finger millet), navane (foxtail millet), saame (little millet), haraka (Kodo millet), korale (browntop millet), udalu (barnyard millet), baragu (proso millet), sajje (pearl millet) and jola (sorghum millet).
In a bid to strike a chord with Tumakuru, Modi hailed the Siddaganga Mutt, an influential Lingayat institution, for building 'Brand Tumakuru,' even before anyone could imagine brand building.