SCDRC asks PepsiCo to pay Rs 50 lakh to competition winner
New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Delhi consumer commission has asked PepsiCo India to pay Rs 50 lakh to the winner of a competition organised by the company, and observed that there is a growing tendency among firms to attract customers by announcing big prizes but the winner is hardly given anything.
The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has asked the company to pay the amount along with compensation of Rs 10,000 and litigation charges Rs 10,000 to Delhi resident Karishma within 30 days.
"There is a growing tendency amongst the corporates to attract the customers by announcing big prizes and asking the public to participate in the competitions. It is done with a motive to promote business," member of the Commission N P Kaushik said.
The Commission said in a recent order that it was a clear case of "unfair trade practice".
Karishma had won an online game "Pepsi Youngistan Ka Wow" organised by the company in 2010 Indian Premier League.
In the complaint, it is claimed that three representatives of the company had visited her house and informed her that the prize money would be given to her within three days.
When she did not receive the amount, she called up one of the representatives who told her that she was a college student and not employed with the company, the complaint said.
The complaint alleged that when Karishma's parents tried to reach PepsiCo directly, one of the employees threatened them with dire consequences for their daughter.
The commission said that though consolation prizes were given to large number of participants in the form of downloading music and songs, the winning prize was hardly given.
"The top prize which attracts a huge number of participants is hardly given to the winner and avoided on one or the other pretext," it said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
