After anti-Infosys article, RSS-linked Panchajanya now calls Amazon 'East India Company 2.0'

After carrying a four-page cover story describing IT company Infosys as working with “anti-national forces”, early in September, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked magazine Panchajanya is now back in the news for calling US-headquartered e-commerce company Amazon “East India Company 2.0.”

The cover story for the latest edition of the magazine, which will hit the stands on October 3, focuses on the recent allegations that Amazon's legal representatives bribed Indian officials. Last week, the central government said it would probe the allegations regarding the company paying an estimated ₹ 8,500 crore in legal fees in India. Amazon has also launched an internal investigation after allegations being raised by a whistleblower.

"What does Amazon do wrong that it needs to bribe? Why is this giant company being considered a threat to indigenous entrepreneurship, economic freedom and culture?" asked the sub-head on the magazine’s cover, which features an image of the company’s founder Jeff Bezos.

“Whatever the East India Company did in the 18th century to capture India, the same is visible in the activities of Amazon,” the article read. “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.”

The magazine also alleged that Amazon has many proxy entities and “there are reports that it has distributed crores in bribes for policies in its favour”.

The story also took a shot at Amazon’s streaming platform Prime Video for “airing programmes opposed to Indian culture”.

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