Business permission should be withdrawn from Amazon, Flipkart, CBI investigation should be done: Swadeshi Jagran Manch

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has urged the government to immediately withdraw business permissions from e-commerce companies – Amazon and Flipkart – in the country. Swadeshi Jagran Manch has said that these companies are openly violating the rules. In a resolution passed in the national convention of SJM, there has also been a demand for CBI to investigate the functioning of companies like Amazon, Flipkart etc. SJM says that these companies are openly violating the norms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and thus doing business in the country.

The resolution was passed on behalf of SJM in the 15th National Conference held in Gwalior. According to this, there are many restrictions on FDI in multi-brand retail trade and foreign companies cannot do business here on the inventory-based model. They are also prohibited from reducing prices too much. It is alleged that Amazon and Flipkart are openly violating these provisions.

Swadeshi Jagran Manch claimed that Amazon is “in a race” to acquire retail outlets along with its e-commerce retail activities. SJM said Amazon’s investment in the Shoppers Stop and More retail chain is a step in that direction.

The SJM said Amazon has spent Rs 9,788 crore as legal and professional fees in just three years between 2017-18 and 2019-20. According to SJM, its internal sources say that these funds are being used to bribe officers in the country. This ‘proves’ that all these e-commerce companies have ‘wrongly obtained licenses and approvals’.

Describing this as a very serious matter, the National Assembly of SJM has asked that all the approvals given to these companies should be withdrawn and their activities should be declared illegal.

Swadeshi Jagran Manch says that a CBI inquiry should be conducted in this case. The officers who benefit from these companies should be sent on leave till they are identified, so that a fair investigation can be done in the whole matter. The forum has said that if the officers are found guilty, they should also be punished.