Jio accuses Airtel, Vodafone Idea of fanning farmers' ire against it

While Vodafone Idea did not immediately react to charges, Airtel called complaint baseless and asked govt to dismiss it

Farmers’ agitation has spilled over from state borders to telecom networks, quite literally.  In an unusual turn of events, telecom rivals are at war over protesting farmers switching loyalties from one service provider to another.        

                 

Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Jio, which is the largest telco with 404 million subscribers,  approached the regulator alleging that rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (VI) were taking away its users under the guise of farmer support. Airtel is now a distant second with 326 million mobile users while the financially stressed Vodafone Idea is left