Modi, Khattar govts appeasing e-commerce companies, alleges Cong

Chandigarh : The Congress on Saturday accused the Centre and the BJP-JJP government in Haryana of appeasing e-commerce giants at the cost of seven crore shopkeepers in the country who, the opposition alleged, have been denied the opportunity to conduct business during the ongoing lockdown to combat the coronavirus.
The government’s decision to allow wider e-commerce services after April 20 will ruin the businesses and livelihood of seven crore small shopkeepers, including 10 lakh in Haryana, “by giving monopoly to the e-commerce companies in selling non-essential goods but denying the same opportunity to the shopkeepers”, alleged Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Addressing media persons via video conference, Surjewala alleged the anti-trader and anti-shopkeeper decision of the “Modi government and the BJP-JJP government will not be tolerated” and demanded its reconsideration.
Calling the government’s decision as an impractical move, the former Haryana minister demanded protection to small shopkeepers by allowing them permission to deliver goods in their local areas at the doorsteps of customers via contact-less home delivery.
This will help in achieving the goal of social distancing, while supporting economic revival for the country, he added.
Surjewala said that the BJP government seemed to be keen on destroying the businesses of about seven crores small shopkeepers in the country as it was favouring big e-commerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart by giving them monopoly in selling non-essential goods and denying the same opportunity to our native shopkeepers, who are already facing economic hardships due to the lockdown .