india

Updated: Jul 31, 2019 12:39 IST

Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, complaining that officials of the department of telecom are “flouting” service rules by attending a conference sponsored by Chinese telecom giant Huawei starting Thursday.

Urging the PM to rely on indigenous technology, the SJM has cited security concerns in partnering with the Chinese giant.

The SJM, which is the economic arm of the RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP, has been pushing for regulating trade ties with China. It has written to the PM to ensure that DoT officials should not be allowed to attend a 5G conference sponsored by Huawei, saying it already is under the scanner and faces restrictions in several countries including the US, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and South Korea.

“Instead of adhering to the highest standards of integrity required in the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, which also enjoin officials to protect the security and integrity of India, the entire top echelons of DoT are attending a conference paid for by Huawei, which together with other Chinese telecom companies, faces outright bans/ severe restrictions...Even in India the operations of Huawei are not beyond suspicion, and is never investigated thoroughly,” SJM’s national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan has written in the letter to the PM.

The SJM has also cautioned against allowing Chinese telecom giants entry into the Indian market, pointing out that “Chinese dominance in India’s telecommunication sector is very damaging”.

“It is not only creating a security threat but also killing opportunities for our indigenous players.

India is required to take a firm stance on this,” Mahajan wrote.

He pointed out that outgoing telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan had last month assured that the telecom department will ensure no partnership with this Chinese major would only be allowed after ensuring that there is no compromise on the country’s security.