Centre backtracks on Sanchar Saathi after outcry, says app not mandatory

New Delhi: The Centre moved to contain a fast-escalating political and public uproar over its directive to preload the Sanchar Saathi application on all smartphones, with Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday clarifying that the app is not mandatory, can be deleted by users and will remain inactive unless they choose to register. The clarification came after intense criticism from Opposition parties, privacy advocates and industry players who allege that the order represents intrusive state overreach, lacks transparency and creates the potential for unprecedented monitoring of personal communication.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the move “dictatorial” and said that forcing an undeletable government app onto all citizens amounted to an attempt to “strangle the voice of the people.” In a post on X, Kharge argued that the directive fits into a broader pattern of expanding state intrusion, citing changes to income tax laws, amendments to the RTI Act through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, and the Pegasus spyware allegations. He wrote that this was part of a “dystopian era” in which snooping, scanning and surveillance had become central characteristics. The Congress demanded that the order be rolled back immediately and said it infringed upon the fundamental right to privacy.

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed these concerns, calling Sanchar Saathi a “snooping app” and asserting that no citizen would be comfortable with the government examining private communication under the pretext of fighting fraud. She said, “There is a very fine line between reporting fraud and seeing what every citizen of India is doing on their phone. That is not how it should work.” She added that the government was refusing to allow parliamentary discussion on crucial issues and said this contributed to a climate that resembled authoritarian rule.

The controversy erupted after a November 28 circular from the Department of Telecommunications directed all phone makers to preload the Sanchar Saathi application on new handsets and issue software updates that would place the app on existing devices. The circular also requires compliance to be reported to the DoT within 120 days. According to the directive, the app’s functionalities must not be disabled or restricted, a condition that immediately alarmed Opposition leaders who said it opened the door to widescale surveillance. 

Several companies, including Apple, were reported to have taken a firm position that the mandate in its current form could not be implemented on their platforms without fundamental OS-level changes. Industry sources said the company would hold further discussions with the government in an attempt to find a workable arrangement, noting that Apple had not attended the working group meetings held with other mobile manufacturers.

Scindia rejected allegations that the app allows the government to listen to calls or read messages, insisting that the Opposition is creating an issue where none exists. “If you want to delete it, then delete it,” he told reporters outside Parliament. He added that the application exists to help citizens protect themselves from scams, stolen handsets and misuse of duplicate IMEI numbers. He said, “If you register it, then it will remain active. If you do not register it, then it will remain inactive.” The minister cited internal data to defend the initiative, stating that the app has seen more than 1.5 crore downloads, helped disconnect approximately 2.75 crore fraudulent mobile connections and enabled the tracing of nearly 20 lakh stolen phones. According to him, around 7.5 lakh stolen devices have been returned to users and approximately 21 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected on the basis of user reporting.

Despite these claims, the Opposition has escalated its criticism. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury submitted an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion under Rule 267, arguing that the direction to preload the app amounted to a “grave affront” to the right to privacy, which is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution. She warned that a compulsory, undeletable app of this nature could enable pervasive surveillance of individuals’ movements, interactions and decisions without robust safeguards or parliamentary oversight. Another party leader, Randeep Surjewala, described the directive as turning India into a “surveillance state” and questioned whether the order amounted to an official version of Pegasus. Surjewala also claimed that once installed, such an app would allow the government to monitor location, search history, calls, SMS and messaging applications. He said that pushing the app through software updates to older devices only deepened concerns.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi joined the chorus, accusing the government of attempting to erode privacy protections.

He wrote on X that making the app mandatory and unremovable would make devices “susceptible to government snooping.” Owaisi also criticised the fact that the circular itself had not been promptly made public, arguing that this lack of openness undermined trust and raised questions about the intention behind the directive.

Reinforcing the Opposition’s stance, Delhi’s former chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal called the notification a “brazen attack on individual privacy.” He said no democracy had attempted such a move and questioned why the government did not mention obtaining user consent or provide explicit provisions for deletion. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the direction and said the order allowed installation on both new and existing devices without any allowance for individual choice.

The government, however, maintains that the directive is aimed solely at curbing the growing misuse of duplicate or spoofed International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers and strengthening cybersecurity responses to fraud. IMEI numbers, which range from 14 to 17 digits, are unique to every handset and allow stolen phones to be disconnected from mobile networks. Authorities say that large-scale fraud operations have relied on cloned IMEIs that can mislead networks and facilitate crimes. Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said that all smartphone players except Apple had participated in consultations within the working group and had been briefed on the intended security goals.

Among technology experts, opinions remain sharply divided. Several specialists pointed out that if Sanchar Saathi is embedded as a system-level application within the operating system, it would be impossible for users to delete it. They added that even secondary apps, while not always visible on the home screen, may continue running background processes. Technology industry analyst Akhilesh Shukla of Techshots noted that the app requests access to call logs, SMS, the phone dialer, the camera and notifications, permissions that are common for many apps but still significant given the ongoing debate over compulsory installation. He said clarity was still awaited on whether the DoT would amend the order to explicitly allow deletion.

Consumer rights group CUTS International said the government’s intention to improve telecom security was understandable, but criticised the absence of public consultation and the expectation that citizens must accept pre-installed tools without explanation. The organisation said the mandate raised concerns about trust, choice and the lack of privacy-enhancing alternatives.

Responding to the Opposition’s allegations, the BJP launched a counter-offensive. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the Congress of spreading “misinformation” and claimed that the app cannot read messages or listen to calls. At a press conference in New Delhi, Patra said the goal was not to intrude into personal communication but to strengthen safety against rising frauds and cybercrimes. He said the app’s function was limited to helping retrieve stolen phones, track fraudulent connections and protect users from scams. Patra dismissed the Opposition’s charges as politically motivated and took a swipe at Congress leaders, suggesting that those who had financial irregularities to fear were the ones making the loudest objections.

Patra pointed out that the Supreme Court had already dismissed petitions related to the Pegasus allegations, questioning why individuals who claimed their phones were compromised had not submitted devices for examination. He argued that the Congress’s broader criticism of income tax amendments and RTI modifications was part of a pattern of resisting accountability and said the party should approach courts rather than accuse the government of acting in secrecy. He reiterated the government’s position that the app can be deleted and that users retain full control over activation.

The DoT’s direction said its order would remain in force until amended or withdrawn and that non-compliance could attract action under the Telecommunications Act 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules 2024 and other applicable laws. The instruction gives manufacturers 90 days to ensure new handsets carry the app. Importers and phone companies must furnish compliance reports to the government and prepare to integrate the app into supply chains and software update pipelines.