Govt has no strategy to tackle Chinese apps duping Indians: Cong

PTI, Aug 30, 2022, 6:03 PM IST

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that several Chinese apps have siphoned off Rs 500 crore after duping lakhs of Indians through debt traps and the prime minister is sitting with his ”eyes shut” as his government has no strategy to tackle them.

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh claimed an investigation between January and February 2021 found more than 1,100 digital loan apps available across play stores and that the RBI accepted that at least 600 such apps were operating illegally. ”As per RBI, there was a jump of 12 times in loans on digital platforms between 2017 to 2020. Till now, 52 individuals in our country committed suicide due to blackmailing by these loan apps,” he told reporters.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking, ”China first snatched India’s land, now it is collecting personal data of Indian citizens through loan apps. 52 people have lost their lives after being trapped in these apps. Why is the Prime Minister, who talks about showing red eyes to China, sitting with his eyes closed today.” ”The incompetence of the central government and agencies has led to multiple cases of suicides due to such debt traps. Chinese loan app companies have siphoned off Rs 500 crore from India through the hawala route. There has been no strategy, no focus by the Modi government in evaluating priorities. Certain Chinese apps were banned in 2020 but the action on such apps has been lackluster,” Vallabh said.

He also accused the Modi government of lacking the courage to even talk against the Chinese aggression. ”The government has completely surrendered when tackling international conspiracy and aggression against us,” he alleged.

Claiming that it has been two years since the news emerged of Chinese loan apps duping lakhs of Indians through conspiracy of debt trap, Vallabh alleged the Modi government has weakened the Indian economy pushing millions into poverty.

”When ED and other agencies visit each and every opposition leader, why were they sleeping when at least Rs 500 crore was siphoned off from India by these Chinese loan apps,” the Congress leader asked.

Noting that several lives have been lost due to harassment by these money lending apps, he asked, ”What is the Modi government waiting for to act on such apps?” He also termed the RBI as clueless.

”Does the Modi government want an India with its citizens and data being controlled by the Chinese government? How come these Chinese loan apps are able to operate in our country,” he said.