‘Sanchar Saathi App Optional, Can Be Deleted Anytime’: Jyotiraditya Scindia Issues Clarification Amid Political Uproar

New Delhi: In a rapid follow-up to the escalating political storm over the Centre’s directive on the Sanchar Saathi app, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday issued a strong clarification, asserting that the app is “completely optional” and not mandatory for any mobile user.

Breaking his silence as Opposition leaders continued to allege mass surveillance and violation of privacy rights, Scindia said the government has no intention of forcing the app on citizens.

Scindia said Sanchar Saathi app remains an optional public-safety tool and cannot function without user consent. “The Sanchar Saathi app is completely optional. Users can delete it at any point,” the minister said, adding, “It operates only after a user chooses to activate it. Keeping it on their devices or not is entirely up to them.”

His clarification directly contradicts the Opposition’s charge that the government is building a “snooping mechanism” through mandatory pre-installation and non-removable app features.

Scindia said the Centre’s role is limited to providing citizens a mechanism to safeguard themselves against fraudulent calls, stolen mobile phones and fake handset usage. “The government is only making the app available as a tool for public safety,” he said, adding, “There is no compulsion and no directive that restricts users from deleting it.”

Clarification Comes Amid Heated Parliament Stand-Off

The statement comes hours after Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal and Renuka Chowdhury, tore into the government, calling the directive “unconstitutional”, “dystopian” and “akin to North Korea”.

The Opposition has accused the Centre of enabling mass surveillance and violating Article 21, with multiple MPs filing adjournment motions demanding discussion.

Scindia’s urgent clarification is being seen as the government’s attempt to stem rising outrage and prevent further disruption in Parliament.

With the minister now categorically stating that Sanchar Saathi is optional, removable and user-controlled, the government hopes to defuse the backlash over the DoT communication to device manufacturers.

Opposition’s ‘Snooping App’ Charge

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal led the charge, calling the directive “beyond unconstitutional” and a direct assault on citizens’ fundamental rights.

“The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21. Big Brother cannot watch us,” he said, warning that users’ movements and interactions would effectively come under government surveillance.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was even more scathing, branding Sanchar Saathi a “snooping app”. “It’s ridiculous. Citizens have the right to privacy… There’s a very fine line between reporting fraud and seeing what every citizen is doing on their phone. They are turning this country into a dictatorship,” she said, accusing the government of refusing discussions in Parliament.

Several Opposition lawmakers echoed these concerns.

Imran Masood asked, “Are we becoming North Korea? This is a violation of people’s privacy.” Rajiv Shukla alleged the app will allow the government “to look into everyone’s phone and acquire everyone’s data”. Manoj Jha said, “This is not a communication companion app, but a government companion app.”

Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury filed an adjournment motion, calling the mandate a grave affront to privacy.

Many MPs drew analogies with George Orwell’s 1984, warning of unchecked state surveillance in the absence of parliamentary scrutiny or legal safeguards.

Govt Directive Issued On Nov 28: App Must Be Visible, Enabled & Non-Removable

In a circular issued on November 28, the Ministry of Communications directed all mobile manufacturers and importers to ensure that the Sanchar Saathi app is pre-installed, visible, functional and enabled during the first device setup.

Manufacturers have been instructed to make the app easily accessible during initial configuration, without any option to disable, hide or restrict its functionalities. For handsets already in the market, companies have been told to push the app through software updates.

While implementation must be completed within 90 days, manufacturers are required to submit a compliance report within 120 days, the ministry said.

According to the government, Sanchar Saathi enables users to check handset genuineness using the IMEI number, report fraudulent communications or stolen devices, track SIM connections issued in their name and access trusted contact details of banks and financial institutions. The directive, it stressed, is aimed at protecting consumers from counterfeit devices and telecom-related fraud.

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