China threat: Congress urges government to step up efforts on cyber security

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday urged the government to step up its efforts on cyber security for confronting China's intentions in the cyber space after a media report claimed that a Shenzen-based firm with links to the Chinese government is monitoring over 10,000 Indian individuals and organisations in its global database of "foreign targets".

A report in the Indian Express claimed that the range of targets in India identified and monitored in real time by Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co. Limited was "sweeping" and included President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress' interim president Sonia Gandhi, and their families, as well as several chief ministers, among others.

Tagging the news report, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter that the news about Chinese digital surveillance of India's leaders and others is "worrying".

"We condemn this unequivocally. Have the Chinese used this 2 yr old Company to influence Govt policies in any manner? Will the Govt investigate & assure the Nation?" he said. In another tweet, Surjewala asked that, if the report is correct, then did the Modi government know about this serious matter.

"Or they didn't know that we were being spied upon? Why is the government failing to protect our strategic interests over and over again?" he said.

A clear message needs to be sent out to China to prevent them from indulging in such activities, he said in the tweet in Hindi.