Now, Panchjanya calls Amazon East India Company 2.0; Will RSS distance itself again?

The RSS’ Hindi weekly Panchjanya, weeks after calling Infosys a supporter of ‘tukde-tukde gang’, has termed American retail giant Amazon as ‘East India Company 2.0’.

Equating the retail giant with East India Company and accusing it of funding conversion in India and corrupt practices, Panchajanya also accused Amazon of assaulting Hindu values through its OTT platform Amazon Prime Videos.

Written by Panchjanya Bureau, the story “East India Company 2.0” says, “Actually, Amazon too wants to have sole rights on the Indian market. For this, it has started taking steps to encircle the political, economic, and individual freedom of people here. It is accused of floating shell companies to capture the e-market platform, of bribing to have policies in its favour, and of airing programmes opposed to Indian culture through Prime Videos.”

Saying that Amazon is using tactics used by the East India Company such as attacking the Indian culture and then promoting conversion, the article reads, “Today the same thing is being done by foreign companies. Amazon is now stuck in such a controversy.”

“Following cognizance of certain anti-Hindu content in programs such as Tandav and Paatal Lok on its OTT platform Prime Videos by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and some state governments, the company has apologized. People had alleged that Prime Videos is regularly airing such shows in which Hindu deities are made fun of and family values are assaulted,” it said.

Questions, however, are already being asked whether the RSS distance itself from Panchjanya this time also as it did in the case of Infosys?

After the Infosys controversy, the RSS had distanced itself from the article published in Panchajanya.

The RSS published a reproof to Panchajanya, saying, “As an Indian company, Infosys has a significant contribution in the progress of India. There may be some issues regarding the portal operated by Infosys, but the articles published in this context in Panchjanya are the personal views of the author.”

“Panchajanya is not a mouthpiece of the RSS and the said article or opinions expressed in it should not be linked with the Sangh,” All India Prachaar Pramukh (communications chief) of the RSS, Sunil Ambekar said.