Net Neutrality: Cong accuses Modi of ‘favouring corporates’

In a scathing attack on Centre, the Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government of “favouring a few corporates” and attempting to “break the connect” in the usage of internet messaging services such as WhatsApp and Viber.

Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said that applications like WhatsApp and Viber have become a 

major connecting and communicating medium for millions of people across the world. “The Modi government is making repeated attempts to break this connect in order to favour a few corporate who will manipulate charges on the basis of the recent DOT (department of telecommunications) report,” he said in a statement.

He alleged that the committee appointed by Union Telcom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has agreed to the demands of the telecom industry at the cost of the common mobile user. “In India there are about 10 crore users on WhatAapp and similar services. However, recommendations of the DOT to make these services chargeable will adversely affect all, especially users in the rural areas,” the Congress spokesperson said.

He said a mobile phone user wants free access to popular applications such as WhatsApp and Viber and he also wants that the service provider does not interfere with the free access to websites/content on the internet.