No link with Panchajanya article accusing Infosys of antinational motive: RSS

A four-page cover story in the latest edition of the RSS mouthpiece on Infosys asked whether an 'anti-national power is trying to hurt India's economic interest through it', according to an NDTV report.

However, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambedkar tweeted today that the views expressed in the article are of the author's and do not represent the organisation's views.

"As an Indian company, Infosys has made a significant contribution to the progress of the country. There might be certain issues in the operations of the portal run by Infosys but the article published by Panchajanya in this context only reflects the author's individual opinion," Ambekar said.

"Panchajanya is not the mouthpiece of the RSS and Rashtriya Swayamsevak should not be linked to the opinion expressed in the said article," he added.

In August, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a meeting with Infosys CEO Salil Parekh and expressed deep disappointment over continuous disruptions on the new Income Tax portal developed by the company and gave him a deadline of September 15 to resolve all the glitches.

Sitaraman summoned the Infosys CEO after the portal was shut for two days continuously.

She told him about the concerns of the government and the taxpayers about the constant problems two-and-a-half months had elapsed after the launch of the website. She also pointed out that the launch of the website was also delayed.

Sitharaman also sought an explanation from Infosys over the repeated issues faced by the taxpayers while using the sites.

The article in Panchajanya said that the income tax website developed by Infosys for both the Goods and Services Tax and Income Tax return faced problems and the taxpayers' trust in the country's economy has been hit, the report said.

The article said that it does not have proof to substantiate its claim but alleged Infosys has been accused of helping  "Naxalites, leftists and tukde-tukde gangs", news agency PTI reported.

Panchjanya editor Hitesh Shankar said Infosys is a big firm and handles critical government projects because of its credibility. "The glitches in these tax portals are of national concern and those who are responsible for them should be held accountable," Shankar said, PTI reported.