Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Modi government of fostering “monopoly or duopoly” across sectors and said the reins of India’s economy must be handed back to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), according to PTI.
Speaking after meeting a delegation of small and medium ice cream manufacturers during the Winter Session of Parliament, Mr. Gandhi said the interaction showed that the government was determined to weaken small businesses while favouring a few large industrial players, PTI reported.
“Monopoly or duopoly is a curse for India and the Modi government has been doing exactly this in every sector, every industry,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi on his WhatsApp channel.
Mr. Gandhi said the customers of these small ice cream manufacturers are largely from poor and lower middle-class backgrounds, adding that thousands of such units operate across the country and together provide employment to millions, according to PTI.
Highlighting tax-related concerns, he said the Goods and Services Tax regime was too complex for small businesses to manage. “This is why a special ‘composition scheme’ was created for small businesses, but the BJP government deliberately excluded ice cream from this scheme. At the same time, BJP-ruled states and municipal corporations have sharply increased fees,” he said.
Because of high taxes, growing paperwork and rising fees, many small ice cream manufacturers are shutting down, Mr. Gandhi alleged, adding that they are now barely visible even at popular tourist spots such as India Gate.
“This story is being repeated in every sector. Only the Prime Minister’s favourite monopolists, who fund the BJP, survive and in return, they get a complete monopoly over the market,” he said.
Calling for a change in economic policy, Mr. Gandhi said, “We must break this vicious cycle and put the strong reins of India’s economy back into the hands of MSMEs, so that young people get jobs, the public gets affordable and quality options, and small businesses can become equal partners in the country’s progress.”
In a video shared on his WhatsApp channel, Mr. Gandhi said the difficulties faced by small ice cream manufacturers reflect the challenges confronting small and medium businesses across India. “If you want to create jobs for the people, small and medium businesses are the place where it is going to be done. What specifically Mr Narendra Modi does is to help monopolies crush these people,” he alleged.
“When you hand monopoly power to somebody, you basically destroy the market. The monopolist can do whatever he wants, and there is no control over the manufacturers,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi said small and medium industries must be given priority and protected to ensure they retain a place in the economy. He further alleged that the BJP was promoting monopolies across sectors, naming Adani and Ambani as the largest beneficiaries.
“This is dangerous for the country, it weakens the structure of the country, and it ensures a large number of Indian youngsters are unemployed,” Mr. Gandhi said.
(With inputs from PTI)
