New Delhi E-commerce major Amazon has been dubbed “East India Company 2.0” by RSS-affiliated weekly, Panchjanya, which also alleged that the firm paid crores of rupees in bribes for favorable government policies.
In its latest edition, which will hit the stands on October 3, Panchajanya has done a cover story that is highly critical of Amazon.
The article titled “East India Company 2.0” reads, “What the East India Company did to capture India in the 18th century is reflected in the activities of the Amazon.”
Claiming that Amazon wants to establish its monopoly in the Indian market, it says, “To do so, it has begun to take initiatives to seize the economic, political and personal freedoms of Indian citizens.”
Targeting Amazon’s video platform, Prime Video, the article said that it is releasing movies and television series which are against Indian culture.
It is also alleged that Amazon has set up a number of proxy entities and that “there are reports that it has disbursed hundreds of millions in bribes for policies in its favour”.
Amazon is locked in a legal battle over its acquisition of Future Group and is facing investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
There have been reports that the US e-commerce giant is investigating alleged bribes paid by its legal representatives in India and has incurred a staggering expense. ₹8,546 crore or $1.2 billion in legal spending to maintain a presence in the country during 2018-20.
The main opposition party, Congress, has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged bribery case involving Amazon.
Earlier, the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch had also sought action against e-commerce players like Amazon for bypassing laws and indulging in unethical business practices that are detrimental to the interests of traders.
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