New Delhi: Amid the heightened tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian government on Monday took an unprecedented step and decided to ban at least 59 Chinese apps.
The list of 59 mobile apps with their origin in China include TikTok, SHAREit, US Browser, Baidu map, Helo, Mi COmmunity, Club Factory, WeChat, UC News, Weibo, Xender, Meitu, CamScanner, and Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile.
The order issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stated that the 59 apps that have been banned by the Government of India “are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.
The development has come in the wake of a massive spike in tensions along the 3,488-kilometre-long de-facto border with China, following the Galwan Valley clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action.
An unspecified number of Chinese troops were also killed in the clash on the intervening night of June 15 and 16, which happened when Indian soldiers had gone to inspect whether the Chinese had withdrawn from the Galwan River bend in the valley which was on the Indian side of the LAC.