- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Panchajanya, a magazine affiliated to the Hindu right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) created a controversy by alleging that Indian information technology major Infosys may be deliberately trying to destabilise the country’s economy and even accused it of aiding ‘Naxals, leftists and tukde tukde gang (the fragmented political opponents)’. The RSS later distanced itself from the weekly’s viewpoint saying the role of the IT company in India’s development is critical.
In its latest edition, the weekly made the allegations against the software company after glitches were reported by Indian daily The Indian Express.
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The allegations came up in the cover story of the Panchajanya titled “Saakh Aur Aaghaat” (Reputation and Harm). The weekly said that it was not the first time that Infosys had bungled a government project.
Citing problems in various government websites in India like that of the ministry of corporate affairs, the article 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?”
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Infosys, which is based in Bangalore in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is seen as a key Indian pioneer in blue chip.
“Will Infosys provide this same kind of shoddy service to foreign clients,” the article asked.
“The cover story is about a big corporate (Infosys) whose work’s quality is not up to its reputation. This not only hampers the company’s reputation but also causes inconvenience to crores of people…This kind of role and deliveries create dissatisfaction in society. If Infosys is not involved in socially questionable/propaganda funding, it must come out and state the facts,” Panchajanya editor Hitesh Shankar was quoted as saying by the Express. The magazine was once edited by former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
“We are writing about the dissatisfaction that has arisen in the society. The company must clarify whether it is a software company or an instrument to engineer social anger,” he added.
The weekly said while it had no solid evidence to back its claims, the company’s ‘history and circumstances’ lent weight to the allegations.
The article also said that Nandan Nilekani, one of the promoters of Infosys, had contested the general elections on a ticket of the opposition Indian National Congress while the company’s cofounder Narayana Murthy’s criticism of the Narendra Modi government is not unknown.
“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,” it said.
It even alleged that the glitches in projects done by Infosys may be a tactic by the opposition to ensure that the central government is forced to stop giving contracts to Indian companies which will hurt the idea of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India).
Sunil Ambedkar, a top official of the RSS’s media handling, on Sunday sought to distance the outfit from the Panchajanya article by lauding the role of the IT major in India’s development.
Saying there could be issues with the portals developed by the firm, Ambedkar said the magazine was not the official mouthpiece of the RSS and the views expressed on Infosys should be considered personal.
“As an Indian company, Infosys has made seminal contribution in progress of the country. There might be certain issues with a portal run by Infosys, but the article published by Panchajanya in this context only reflects individual opinion of the author. Panchajanya is not mouthpiece of the RSS and the said article or opinions expressed in it should not be linked with the Sangh,” he said on Twitter.
