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New Delhi: RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has again urged the Modi government to “dump” Chinese telecom major Huawei and not allow them to participate in the 5G trails in India.

This comes in the backdrop of reports of China asking coronavirus-hit nations, such as France, to accept Huawei if they want supplies of medical equipment.

Several countries, such as America, Australia, have blocked products from Huawei because they suspect threats to their national security.

“China’s irresponsible behaviour on coronavirus, supplying faulty (Covid-19) test kits to several countries and now blackmailing them to allow Huawei in exchange for supplying test kits have exposed China’s game plan. This is high time for the Modi government to take a re-look at their decision to allow Huawei under this changed circumstances,” SJM national co-convener Ashwini Mahajan told ThePrint.

In a tweet posted on 5 April, Mahajan tagged Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and requested him to take a look at the government’s “earlier decision” of allowing Huawei under the present circumstances.

‘India still has time to reject Huawei’

The SJM leader said India still has time to reject Huawei before China jeopardises India’s national security.

“First, they risked the world by concealing data about coronavirus and then they risked the health of millions by supplying faulty test kits. And now, they are putting conditions that they will supply PPE (personal protection equipment), test kits only when Huawei is allowed in 5G trials. There is still time for the government of India to dump Huawei before they jeopardise (India’s) national security by stealing security data,” he said.

Mahajan shared a report on Twitter Monday and wrote: “British PM is said to have decided to pull out of the 5G contract with Huawei. British PM came to the decision after he was furious about a recent shipment of test kits bound for the UK were found contaminated with coronavirus.”

British PM is said to have decided to pull out of the 5G contract with Huawei. British PM came to the decision after he was furious about a recent shipment of test kits bound for the UK were found contaminated with coronavirus.

⁦@prafullaketkar⁩ https://t.co/svQEMZiOyB — ASHWANI MAHAJAN (@ashwani_mahajan) April 6, 2020

“In India, we have been advocating from day one that there is suspicion that Chinese companies are indulging in eliciting sensitive data from devices and equipment they export. When America and Australia can ban Huawei, then why are we welcoming them?” he told ThePrint.

This is not the first time the SJM has called for a ban on Huawei. In January this year, Mahajan had told ThePrint the Modi government shouldn’t trust Huawei as China has “jeopardised world health” with coronavirus, which is a result of its bio-warfare experiment.

In December last year, the SJM, in a letter to minister Prasad, had questioned the government’s urgency and the participation of Huawei in the 5G trials.

The trials were supposed to begin in the first quarter of 2020.

Also read: Punish Chinese firms, end trade concessions over China’s stance on Kashmir: RSS affiliate

China’s ‘corona diplomacy’

Mahajan cited a report, stating China has asked Italy to buy back the PPE, which the latter had donated to China to help in its fight against the pandemic.

“… China is trying to make profit amid this humanitarian crisis. China is giving the impression that it is helping other nations by supplying masks and kits but that is actually not the case. China is polishing its tainted image through ‘corona diplomacy’. China is arm-twisting other countries…” he added.

Faulty Chinese medical equipment

Speaking to ThePrint last week, Mahajan had urged the Modi government not to import from China any PPE such as masks, eye gear, and testing kits and ventilators as their products are not trustworthy.

Concerns have been raised over the quality of Chinese medical equipment after several countries decided to return masks and testing kits imported from China.

Spain announced that it would return more than 600,000,000 rapid testing kits it had purchased from a Chinese company after testing of an imported batch showed they only had a 30 per cent detection rate.

Turkey also reportedly raised similar concerns about the quality of Chinese testing kits.

The Netherlands authorities have also ordered hospitals to send back around 600,000 masks that had been imported from China after they failed to meet the quality standards.

Even 80 per cent of the testing kits sent to Czech Republic by China proved to be faulty.

Also read: Like Donald Trump, RSS affiliate too wants COVID-19 to be renamed ‘China virus’

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