Cong calls ‘Sanchar Saathi’ Centre’s snooping app; Minister Scindia says users free to delete it

New Delhi: The central government’s decision to mandate Sanchar Saathi, a fraud-reporting app, on all mobile phones made or sold in India has triggered widespread protest. The Congress on Tuesday said the government’s directive “smacks of dictatorship” and infringes on citizens’ right to privacy. Calling it a “snooping app,” the party demanded its immediate rollback.

Amid criticism, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that people are free to keep or delete the app, even though the government wants it pre-installed on all devices.

“Users can decide to keep the Sanchar Saathi app or delete it,” Scindia told reporters on Tuesday.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed mobile handset manufacturers and importers to ensure that the Sanchar Saathi app is pre-installed on all new devices, and installed via a software update on existing handsets.

According to the directive dated November 28, all mobile phones manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the order must have the app. All mobile phone companies are required to report compliance to the DoT within 120 days.

“If you want to delete it, then delete it. But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft,” Scindia said.

The Union Minister for Communications further noted, “It is our responsibility to make this app reach everyone. If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you don’t want to use it, then don’t register. If you register, it will remain active. If you don’t register, it will remain inactive.”

Violation of right to privacy, says Congress
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the government for violating citizens’ right to privacy by installing what she called a “snooping app” on their phones.

“The Sanchar Saathi is a snooping app, and clearly this is ridiculous. Citizens have the right to privacy. Everyone must have the right to send messages to family and friends without the government looking at everything,” she told the media.

“It’s not just snooping on the telephone. They’re turning this country into a dictatorship in every form. Parliament isn’t functioning because the government is refusing to discuss anything. It is very easy to blame the Opposition, but they are not allowing any discussion, and that is not democracy,” she said, adding that a healthy democracy requires open debate and diverse viewpoints.

Vadra said there is a fine line between reporting fraud and monitoring what every citizen is doing on their phone.

“That’s not how it should work. There should be an effective system to report fraud. We’ve discussed this at great length in terms of cyber security. There is a need for cyber security, but that does not give an excuse to enter every citizen’s phone. I don’t think any citizen would be happy,” she added.

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury filed an adjournment motion notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking suspension of business to discuss the government’s directions on the installation of the Sanchar Saathi app.

The MP has demanded a discussion under Rule 267, which calls for setting aside all other business to take up the matter.

In her adjournment notice, she said, “The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic facet of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Department of Telecommunications’ circular directing smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-load the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ application in a manner that cannot be deleted constitutes a grave affront to this fundamental right.”

“Such a mandate enables pervasive surveillance and threatens to place every movement, interaction, and decision of citizens under constant watch, without adequate safeguards or parliamentary oversight,” Chowdhury said.

“I therefore demand an adjournment of all business of the House to take up an urgent discussion on this critical issue affecting the rights and liberties of our citizens,” she wrote in her notice.

Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal said on Monday that the right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty.

“Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT direction is unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21. 

“A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction, and decision of each citizen,” Venugopal said in a post on X.