Though the right-wing magazine said it had no concrete evidence to prove this but added that the company’s “history and circumstances,” lend weight to this charge.
RSS-affiliated journal Panchajanya, marking the first occasion when the right wing organization has attempted to brand a leading corporate as aligned with “anti-national” forces, alleged in its latest edition that Bengaluru-based I-T major Infosys may be deliberately trying to destabilise the Indian economy, accusing it of helping “Naxals, Leftists and tukde tukde gang”.
Individuals, activists, some sections on campuses and some in the political opposition have been subjected to such vilification until now. However, for the first time, a software company has been targeted like this. Software major Infosys is seen as one of the key blue-chip homegrown pioneers in the economy following the first-generation reforms in IT services.
The allegations by the weekly were made in the context of glitches in the new Income Tax e-filing portal developed by Infosys. Though the website had gone live on June 7, it continues to pose problems for taxpayers. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, last month, has summoned Infosys CEO Salil Parekh and gave the company until September 15 to fix these glitches. Infosys got the contract in 2019.
“Will Infosys provide this same kind of shoddy service to foreign clients,” the Panchajanya article asked.
Panchajanya, in its cover story “Saakh Aur Aaghaat” (Reputation and Harm), alleged that this was not the first time Infosys had bungled a government project. The article, citing problems in websites for GST and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, said: “When these things happen repeatedly, it is bound to raise suspicion. There are accusations that the Infosys management is deliberately trying to destabilise India’s economy…Could it be that some anti-national power is trying to harm India’s economic interests through Infosys?”
Though the right-wing magazine said it had no concrete evidence to prove this but added that the company’s “history and circumstances,” lend weight to this charge.
“Infosys is accused of providing assistance to Naxals, Leftists and Tukde Tukde Gang. The issue of Infosys directly or indirectly supporting divisive forces in the country has already come out in the open. It is believed (that) misinformation websites…are funded by Infosys. Some organisations that spread caste hatred are also beneficiaries of Infosys’s charity. Shouldn’t Infosys promoters be asked what is the reason for the company’s funding of anti-national and anarchist organisations? Should companies of such suspect character be allowed to participate in government-tendering process?”
It added: “One of the promoters of Infosys is Nandan Nilekani who has contested Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket. Company’s founder NR Narayana Murthy’s opposition to the incumbent government’s ideology is not hidden from anyone. Infosys appoints people subscribing to a certain ideology on important posts… If such a company gets important government tenders, wouldn’t there be a threat of influence from China and the ISI?”
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