BJP MP Khandelwal asks Goyal to suspend festival sales of e-commerce giants

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal on Sunday urged Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to suspend the upcoming "festival sales" events of leading e-commerce players Amazon and Flipkart, saying these will further harm domestic traders.

He also asked to immediately roll out the e-commerce rules and policy to promote and protect small retailers of the country. In a communication to the minister, the Lok Sabha member from Chandni Chowk and Secretary General Emeritus of Confederation of All India Traders ( CAIT), Khandelwal asked for prompt action after media reports claimed a Competition Commission of India report had found big brands colluding with online retailers in breach of anti-trust laws.

Khandelwal has "urged suspension of upcoming 'festival sales' events of Amazon and Flipkart, as they will further harm domestic traders through the continued use of anti-competitive practices".

Citing certain media reports about the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) report regarding leading e-commerce players, the MP said that an uneven playing field had been created for domestic players. "E-commerce giants promote preferential treatment and collusion. These platforms engage in preferential listings and exclusive partnerships with specific sellers and brands, leading to an unfair market environment," he said.

He added that "instead of acting as neutral platforms, 'both Flipkart and Amazon' favored select sellers, and disadvantaged the vast majority of sellers".