Leaders of Opposition parties on Tuesday targeted the Union government over the directions to mobile companies to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on cell phones, calling it a ‘dystopian’ tool for ‘snooping’ on citizens.
Amid the row, however, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said Tuesday that installing the ‘fraud reporting’ app on all devices would be optional and can be deleted by users.
Criticising the Centre, Congress Member of Parliament, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra , called the Centre’s Sanchar Saathi app a tool for “snooping” on citizens’ mobile phones, describing it as a step towards turning India into a dictatorship.
Vadra’s remarks came a day after the Ministry of Communications directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the app on all devices to be sold within the next three months.
“Sanchar Saathi is a snooping app, and clearly it’s 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,” Vadra told reporters outside Parliament House on Tuesday.
The Union Ministry of Communications said on Monday that the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) directions to mobile phone companies for the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in handsets were aimed at safeguarding citizens from purchasing non-genuine handsets and enabling easy reporting of suspected misuse of telecom resources.
The DoT issued these directions on 28 November to manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets intended for use in India under the provisions of the Telecom Cyber Security Act .
This was widely interpreted as an instruction that the app would be non-removable. However, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified on Tuesday that users would have the option to activate the app only if they chose to, and would also be allowed to delete it.
“This app does not enable snooping or call monitoring. You can activate or deactivate it as per your wish… If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional… It is about customer protection. I want to clear all misconceptions… It is our duty to introduce this app to everyone. Keeping it on their devices or not is up to the user… It can be deleted from the mobile phone just like any other app…” Scindia told news agency ANI and later shared it on his X account too.
Vadra, speaking before Scindia’s clarification, said that while cybersecurity measures are necessary, they do not give the government a licence to intrude into citizens’ private lives.
“There’s a very 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, there’s a need for cybersecurity, but that doesn’t mean you get an excuse to enter every citizen’s phone. I don’t think any citizen would be happy,” she said.
Pegasus spyware
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also criticised the move, invoking the Pegasus spyware controversy. He further questioned the status of the CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) probe into claims made by several Opposition leaders in 2023 that they had received warnings from Apple about “state-sponsored attacks” on their devices.
“Has anyone heard about the outcome of CERT-In’s probe into state-sponsored iPhone hacks? Questions asked in Parliament on this were continuously disallowed… Next step, obviously: Ankle monitors, collars and brain implants for 1.4 billion people. Only then will the government finally know what we really think and do,” Brittas wrote on X.
‘Big Brother cannot watch us’
On Monday, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal stated 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 beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
“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.
Venugopal also shared the DoT direction under Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), regarding the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in mobile handsets to check their genuineness.
“Failure to comply with these directions shall attract action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), and other applicable laws. These directions shall come into force immediately and shall remain in force until amended or withdrawn by the DoT,” the communique said.
On Tuesday, 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 . She requested a discussion under Rule 267, which requires setting aside all other business to address the matter.
What did the government say?
A Union Ministry of Communications press communique on Monday said that the DoT has issued directions for the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app in mobile handsets to verify the genuineness of mobile handsets.
“In order to safeguard the citizens from buying the non-genuine handsets, enabling easy reporting of suspected misuse of telecom resources and to increase effectiveness of the Sanchar Saathi initiative , the DoT has issued Directions dated 28.11.2025 mandating the manufacturer and importers of mobile handsets that are intended for use in India under the provisions of the Telecom Cyber Security,” the ministry note issued on 1 December reads.
What is Sanchar Saathi Initiative?
The DoT is undertaking the Sanchar Saathi initiative to curb the misuse of telecom resources for cyber frauds and ensure telecom cybersecurity, the statement said.
The department has developed Sanchar Saathi portal & app which enables citizens to check genuineness of a mobile handset through the IMEI number along with other facilities like reporting suspected fraud communications, lost/ stolen mobile handsets, check mobile connections in their name, trusted contact details of banks/ financial institutions, it read.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, BJP MP Sambit Patra also clarified on the app and the controversies around it.
The right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty.
“People are asking whether the Sanchar Saathi app is meant for government snooping. Does the government want to spy on you? No — N-O — no. The government does not want to spy on anyone. The Sanchar Saathi app cannot read your messages. It cannot listen to your calls, neither the calls you make nor the calls you receive. Sanchar Saathi cannot listen to your calls. It cannot access your private or personal data.” Patra said.
