Responding to Sanghani's charge, the managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, Dr RS Sodhi had said that Dr Kurien's religion was that of each farmer of the country.

Sanghani had said Tribhuvandas Patel was the founder of Amul but farmers' money was donated for tribals' religious conversions in south Gujarat by Dr Kurien.

Sodhi recalled a call he received in the wee hours when Dr Kurien passed away at a hospital in Nadiad. "Me and my colleague went there and asked Nirmala and Mrs Kurien as to where he should be buried (since he was a Christian)," he had said.

"They told us that his wish was that he be cremated.”

He was cremated at the same place as Tribhuvandas Patel.

“After three months when Mrs Kurien died in Mumbai, she was also cremated," Sodhi said.