SJM advises government to keep Walmart out to foil ‘havoc’

New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayam-sewak Sangh affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch has cautioned the Narendra Modi government to avoid any dealings with giant American multinational Walmart, saying the government needs to rethink its strategy on allowing such companies to operate in India. The SJM also said Walmart was among the biggest sellers of Chinese goods, causing havoc for small traders, and was the worst employer in the world.

SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan asked the Modi government to try and find out the loss of employment and livelihood caused by Walmart the world over. “This company is doing no good anywhere. It’s the biggest seller of Chinese items, causing havoc for small traders and is the worst employer in the world,” he tweeted.

The senior SJM official’s comment came after he quoted a tweet where a delegation posted a picture of Walmart and Flipkart officials calling on agriculture and rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The SJM had earlier sought Prime Minister Modi’s intervention on these issues due to national security concerns.

The RSS affiliate is understood to have earlier taken up investment policy with the government. The SJM batted for getting new regulations in place to protect small and medium traders from US-owned e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart.

The group has in the past few weeks stepped up criticism of Chinese telecom equipment makers, warning that their presence in India was “an unacceptable security risk”. It is campaigning to keep Chinese telecom maker Huawei Technologies out of India’s plans to install the next-generation 5G cellular network.