On Thursday, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, accused a “senior Minister” of pressuring several “play-fair” businesses to publicly praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. The claims follow Gandhi’s recent op-ed, where he criticized what he described as an “oppressive system” dominated by monopolists that harm small businesses and job growth.
Gandhi took to Twitter, stating, “After my article, many play-fair businesses have told me that a senior Minister has been calling and forcing them to post positive messages about PM Modi and the government’s initiatives. This proves my point exactly!” However, the Congress leader did not disclose the names of the companies involved.
In his editorial, Gandhi had lambasted the rise of monopolists who, he argued, were responsible for the destruction of thousands of businesses and the loss of jobs. He contrasted these monopolies with what he called a “tiny sample” of successful homegrown businesses, such as Mahindra, Titan, Lenskart, Manyavar, and Zomato, which he praised for adhering to fair business practices.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by India’s smaller businesses, asserting that many were intimidated by the powerful monopolies. “Competing with these monopolists is like fighting against the full machinery of the Indian state,” he wrote. Gandhi further emphasized that the government should not favor one business over others, especially if that support is tied to “benami equations” (proxy business dealings) within the system.”
Government agencies should not be weaponized to intimidate businesses,” he concluded.
