Big cos creating monopoly to drive small shopkeepers out: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said "big companies are creating a monopoly" to drive small shopkeepers out of business and asserted that he is talking about strengthening such small businesses as they are holding the country's economy together.

Gandhi posted a video on his social media handles on his recent visit to a 'kirana store' in Delhi's Bhogal to learn about the issues being faced by such small business owners.

"There are about 1.3 crore grocery shops in the country. And about 15 to 20 crore families are directly or indirectly dependent on these shops. Recently, I visited one such shop in Bhogal, Delhi and talked to the shopkeepers, workers and some customers there," he said in the post accompanying the video.

"The shop owners told me that they are under a lot of pressure since the arrival of quick commerce companies. Big companies are creating a monopoly so that small shopkeepers can be put out of business," the former Congress chief said.

Goods and Services Tax has increased their problems even more and now they have to pay excessive tax, he added.

"A large number of workers get jobs in this network of grocery shops. Such networks and small businesses are holding our country's economy together. That is why I am constantly talking about strengthening them," Gandhi asserted.

In the video, Gandhi can be seen interacting with shopkeepers and listening to their problems. He also interacted with customers and asked about their mindset.

Gandhi told them that the small shopkeepers were "shock absorbers and job creators".

He said crores of jobs were being taken away for the benefit of big companies.