RSS distances itself from ‘Panchajanya’ article targeting Infosys

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday distanced itself from an article published in Panchajanya, a journal championing Hindu cause, that attacked Infosys over glitches in the income tax portal. The clarification by Sunil Ambekar, All India Prachaar Pramukh (communications chief) of the RSS, activists said, may have come after “somebody in the government” flagged the matter.

In its September 5 edition, Panchjanya had a four-page cover story on Infosys — Saakh Aur Aghaat (Reputation and Damage), with its founder Narayana Murthy”s picture on the cover page. The article in the publication — which supports the cause taken up by the RSS, and sometimes goes beyond them — said there were accusations that the Infosys management was “deliberately trying to destabilise India’s economy”. It dubbed the Bengaluru-based company “unchi dukaan, phika pakwaan (great cry and little wool)”.

It also questioned Infosys’ political linkages (its co-founder Nandan Nilekani had a Cabinet minister’s rank as UIDAI chairperson in the Manmohan Singh government) and charged that the company may have been part of an “anti-national” conspiracy to hurt India’s economic interests and give the Narendra Modi government a bad name.

That Panchajanya carried the report suggested the RSS had endorsed it. However, the organisation that describes itself as a “socio-cultural body” in which at one time Prime Minister Modi was an activist (pracharak), on Sunday said it had nothing to do with the article.

To set the record straight, the RSS came out with a reproof to Panchajanya. “As an Indian company, Infosys has a significant contribution in the progress of India. There may be some issues regarding the portal operated by Infosys but the articles published in this context in Panchjanya are the personal views of the author. Panchajanya is not a mouthpiece of the RSS and the said article or opinions expressed in it should not be linked with the Sangh,” Ambekar said.

Insiders in the Sangh said the attack on Infosys may have been motivated by Sangh workers and activists who see themselves as “more Hindu” than some members of the government.

After Ambekar’s clarification, there was no response from Panchajanya or others on the board of Bharat Prakashan, the company that is the printer and publisher of Panchajanya, despite several messages. On Saturday, PTI reported Panchjanya editor Hitesh Shankar as saying that Infosys is a big firm and very crucial works were given to it by the government based on its credibility.

With glitches continuing on the I-T Department’s new e-filing portal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had given project vendor Infosys time until September 15 to resolve issues being faced by taxpayers.

A ginger group that has dedicated itself to purging the system of persons who have had linkages with past Congress and Left-influenced regimes is likely responsible for the attack on Infosys, insiders said. “In the past there have been several instances of this group simply posting past comments of people who have been appointed to important positions. Some of these campaigns have resulted in appointees resigning within days. Itne wicket gir gaye to unhe laga, chalo, koi bada wicket giraayen (After they managed to get many wickets, they may have thought, let’s try for a big one),” said an activist.

Earlier this year, Mumbai-based poll and communication strategist Tushar Panchal, who was named officer on special duty (OSD) to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan, resigned within 24 hours of accepting the offer, after members of this group circulated his old tweets which were dubbed by BJP and RSS cadres as “anti-Hindu” and critical of Narendra Modi. On being appointed, Panchal had tweeted: “Today, my destiny has placed me inside the office of MP Chief Minister @ChouhanShivraj as his communication advisor. Please wish me luck. More details later.”

This was hours after the MP government issued an order appointing Tushar OSD in the CM’s Office.

However, less than 24 hours later, Panchal again took to Twitter, saying: “I have decided to not accept the responsibility offered to me by @chouhanshivraj ji and have communicated my inability to the CM.” This was after Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajindar Bagga and RSS Delhi State Executive member Rajiv Tuli shared screenshots of Tushar’s old “anti-Hindu” and “anti-Modi” tweets and asked the MP CM about the need to appoint a person of Panchal’s credentials. Panchal had managed the Madhya Pradesh CM’s social media war-room in 2018.

The media advisor to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, Dinesh Mansera, met with a similar fate. Earlier a TV journalist, Mansera’s appointment was cancelled within days as activists dug out old tweets that had been critical of the Modi government.

“The fact that the BJP lauds and grants lucrative government posts to those spewing venom against it 24×7 should speak volumes about how little the party cares about its followers and workers. Any other party of Left-liberal institutions will never even give the courtesy of hearing those from the opposite end of the spectrum, forget about giving out a high-paying job” said one tweet from the group.

It is not clear at what level the government complained to the Sangh, eliciting a response on the Infosys matter. “It might have been B L Santhoshji (organising secretary who is from Karnataka), or someone at an even higher level. It is also possible that someone spoke to Mohanji (Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief). We don’t know. The motivation behind the Panchajanya article was misuse of public money – but also an assertion,” said an activist.