SJM demands withdrawal of permissions given to Amazon, Flipkart-Walmart to operate in India
New Delhi, Dec 28: The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has demanded that the government should immediately withdraw the permissions given to e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart-Walmart to operate in India as these firms are "blatantly contravening rules".
In a resolution passed at its national conclave recently, the outfit also said a CBI probe should be ordered into the operations of Amazon, Flipkart-Walmart and other multinational e-commerce companies, while alleging that these firms are doing business in India "blatantly" violating the FDI (foreign direct investment) regulations.
"Foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail trade is regulated through the FDI policy. Foreign players cannot have an inventory-based model to operate (in India). They are also barred from influencing prices by cash-burning models. Multinational e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart-Flipkart are blatantly contravening rules and operating uncontrolled in India," the SJM claimed in the resolution passed at its 15th national conclave in Gwalior on December 26.
Amazon is "on a spree" to acquire brick-and-mortar retail outlets, along with its e-commerce retail activities, the outfit claimed, adding that the company's investments in Shoppers Stop and the More Retail chain are "major steps in this direction".
"From 2017-18 to 2019-20, in three years, Amazon has spent Rs 9,788 crore on legal and professional fees in India. Internal sources have exposed that the money is being routed through these accounts for bribing officials in India," the SJM alleged.
This proves that licences and permissions were obtained by all such e-commerce companies "fraudulently, using unfair means", it said.
"This is a very serious matter. The Rashtriya Sabha of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch demands that all the permissions given to these companies be withdrawn forthwith and all their activities be declared illegal," the outfit demanded in the resolution.
"The entire matter should be investigated by the CBI and as soon as the government officers, including people sitting in high offices, gaining from these companies directly or indirectly are identified, they should be sent on leave to ensure a fair investigation into the matter and be punished for their offences," it added.
The SJM claimed that Amazon and Flipkart occupy 80 per cent of the online marketing space and the discounts they offer are "adversely" impacting the offline markets, neighbourhood shops and grocery stores.
"Along with this, people engaged in the wholesale and the transport sectors are also getting adversely affected by the e-commerce giants.... In the past few years, mobile shops have been closed down due to unfair trade practices of the e-commerce giants," it said.
The RSS-affiliate accused Amazon of giving preferential treatment "to a selected group of sellers including Cloudtail and Appario" to hurt small retailers, "bypassing the Indian FDI regulations".
"Amazon scooped up data from its own sellers to launch competitive products and brands such as Solimo and Amazon Basics. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is another operations being carried out by Amazon in India to exploit the retailers by charging very heavy fees in the garb of helping them in improving their presence on the e-market place.
"Amazon compels small suppliers to hold substantial minimum quantity of their range of products at its fulfilment centres. These suppliers are also required to pay for the warehousing, transportation etc. It has resulted in very high inventory cost for vendors," it alleged.
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
