RSS-linked journal attacks Infosys over glitches in IT, GST portals

SS-affiliated publication Panchajanya, in its latest edition, has alleged that Bengaluru-based I-T major Infosys may be deliberately trying to destabilise the Indian economy and has accused it of helping "Naxals, Leftists and tukde tukde gang".

The leading corporate was accused of aligning with "anti-national" forces for regular glitches in the GST and Income Tax portals developed by it, The website which went online on June 7 has been shut down many times since then posing problems for the taxpayers.

The periodical questioned whether Infosys will dare to provide such "shoddy service" to their foreign clients.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had summoned Infosys CEO Salil Parekh and had given the company a deadline of September 15 to fix these glitches.

Panchajanya Editor Hitesh Shankar told The Indian Express that the story is about a big corporate whose work quality is not up to its reputation.

"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…we are writing about the dissatisfaction that has arisen in society. The company must clarify whether it is a software company or an instrument to engineer social anger." he said to The Indian Express.

The cover story titled "Saakh Aur Aaghaat" (Reputation and Harm) alleges that this is not the first time Infosys had bungled a government project and cited problems in websites for GST and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. "When these things happen repeatedly, it is bound to raise suspicion."

The article added that one of the promoters of Infosys is Nandan Nilekani who has contested Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket.

"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?" the article said.