India can even do 'digital strike': Ravi Shankar Prasad after Centre bans 59 apps

Jul 02, 2020

New Delhi [India], July 2 : After the Centre banned 59 mobile apps, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that Indian can even do a "digital strike".
"For security and sovereignty of India and for the people's digital security and privacy, we have banned 59 apps, including TikTok. India knows how to look in the eyes of those eyeing our borders and to protect countrymen, India can even do a digital strike," Prasad said in a virtual West Bengal BJP rally.
Amid border tensions with China in Eastern Ladakh, the government on Monday banned 59 apps, mostly Chinese, including Tik Tok and UC Browser that were "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity and defence" of the country.
The Ministry of Information Technology said in a release that it has decided to block 59 apps in view of the information available that "they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order".
The ban came amid nationwide outrage against China after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley with Chinese troops when they attempted to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation.
Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.