Congress leaders appear to be speaking in different voices on the government's decision to block 118 more China-linked mobile apps with working president of party's Tamil Nadu wing Mohan Kumaramangalam contradicting party leader Milind Deora who had hailed the move.
Deora, a former MP, had said that the decision to ban on 59 Chinese apps in June and 118 on Wednesday will enable Indian entrepreneurs to build world-class products and compes.
"Internet nationalism helped China create 5 of the world's top 10 tech compes. The ban on 59+118 Chinese apps will enable Indian entrepreneurs to build world-class products and compes. India derives power from its growing 500mn smartphone users and 700mn broadband subscribers," Deora said in a tweet.
Kumaramangalam reacted to Deora's tweet and claimed that internet nationalism in India "is not pro-India, it's anti-China".
"Internet nationalism in China Wasn't Anti India, it was Pro China. Internet nationalism in India isn't pro India, it's Anti China," Kumaramangalam said in a tweet.
Nearly two months after it banned 59 China-linked apps, the government on Wednesday decided to block 118 mobile apps including PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, WeChat Work and WeChat in view of the information available that they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence and security of India and public order.
The decision came amid border tensions with China in eastern Ladakh.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said in a release that the decision "is a targeted move" to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.
The ministry said it has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers that have locations outside India.
Almost all the apps banned had some preferential Chinese interest and the majority had parent Chinese compes.
( With inputs from ANI )
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