Amazon has refused to appear before the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Data Protection Bill on October 28, 2020, and this amounts to a breach of privilege. Says, Meenakshi Lekhi ,MP of BJP and panel chairperson .
Meenakshi said that “the panel is unanimous in its opinion that coercive action can be suggested to the government against the e-commerce company”.
“Amazon has refused to appear before the panel on October 28, 2020, and if no one on behalf of the e-commerce company appears before the panel it amounts to a breach of privilege,” she told PTI.
A senior member of the panel said. “It is not only a privilege thing. If, tomorrow, a company says it will not face a Parliamentary committee then Parliament will instruct the government to tighten (its leash on) that company. Parliament has the sovereign power.” Another member said the committee felt that Amazon should be pulled up. “They cannot give an answer like this. They could have sought time. The executive thought that it is a casual request which can be turned down,” he said.
