INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Reliance Jio Infocomm, promoted by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, on Monday wrote to the regulator Telecom Regulator Authority of India (TRAI)
seeking action against Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, amid the farmer protests in and around Delhi against farm laws
Jio highlighted an unethical and anti-competitive mobile number portability (MNP) campaign being run by Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel amid
the protests.Reliance Jio said its letter was in furtherance of its letter of September 28, 2020 "highlighting the unethical and
anti-competitive MNP (mobile number portability) campaign being run by Airtel and VIL to capitalise on the ongoing farmer protests in
northern parts of the country"."We submit that despite the above submissions, these companies continue to remain directly/indirectly
involved in supporting and furthering the insinuations and false and frivolous rumours of Reliance being an undue beneficiary of the farm
laws, for unethical pecuniary benefits in the form of induced porting of RJIL customers," the letter said.It said that Airtel and VIL
"remain unabated in pursuing this vicious and divisive campaign through its employees, agents and retailers"."They are inciting the public
by making preposterous claims that migrating Jio mobile numbers to their networks would be an act of support to farmers'' protests," said
the letter written on December 10
The letter was accompanied by pictures of "misleading and inciteful campaign" across Punjab and other northern states.Responding to the
allegations made by Reliane Jio, Bharti Airtel in a statement said, "Airtel has operated in the telecom industry for 25 years
During this period, we have competed hard in the market place and striven to serve our customers with excellence
At the same time we take great pride in treating our competitors and partners with respect.""Despite being provoked by some competitors who
we know will go to any length to make baseless allegations, adopt bullying tactics and use intimidatory behaviour, we have always conducted
our business with character and transparency something that we are deeply proud of and known for," Bharti Airtel said
"The current complaint therefore deserves to be dismissed and thrown out with the contempt that it deserves
It is in poor taste and is scurrilous to say the least," it added.Vodafone Idea also denied the charges
"Vi believes in doing business with ethics
These are baseless allegations against us to malign our reputation
We strongly refute such irresponsible comments on us," Vi said.
