Sanchar Saathi can be deleted, not mandatory, says Scindia

Amid the Sanchar Saathi app row regarding the Centre’s direction to smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the app on all phones sold in the country, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday (December 2) clarified that users can delete the app from their phone if they don’t want to use it. The Union Minister said that just like the pre-installed Google Maps, the Sanchar Saathi app can also be deleted by mobile phone users.

"Don't activate it (Sanchar Saathi). If you want to keep it in your phone, keep it. If you want to delete it, do so. For example, when you buy a phone, many apps come pre-installed. Google Maps comes too. Now, if you don't want to use Google Maps, delete it,” said Scindia.

However, Google Maps cannot be deleted from Android phones. It can only be disabled. But it can be deleted from iPhones.

‘Sanchar Saathi not mandatory’

Scindia asserted that he was trying to debunk the myth regarding the Sanchar Saathi adding that it was not mandatory and is only aimed at customer protection.

Also Read: Sanchar Saathi row: Priyanka alleges snooping, Government hits back

"This is a matter of customer protection. There is nothing mandatory. If you do not want to register it, don't. It will stay dormant. And if you want to delete it, delete it,” said Scindia as quoted by NDTV.

“But not every person in the country knows that there is an app to protect him/her from fraud. So it is our responsibility to spread the information," he said, explaining the rationale behind the government's directive to phone manufacturers,” he added.

Congress’ ‘snooping' charge

The Congress has raised concerns over potential privacy violations in light of the Centre’s directive to phone manufacturers. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal described the decision as “beyond unconstitutional,” arguing that citizens’ privacy cannot be compromised. “Big Brother cannot watch us. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution,” he wrote on X.

Also Read: Explained: What is the Sanchar Saathi app and why has it triggered a row?

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra labelled Sanchar Saathi a “snooping app,” saying the move undermines basic freedoms. “It’s ridiculous. Citizens have the right to privacy. This isn’t just about snooping on telephones—overall, they are turning this country into a dictatorship in every possible form,” she said. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi echoed the criticism, calling the directive “another BIG BOSS surveillance moment.”

Centre’s response

Responding to the Opposition, Scindia said they are attempting to manufacture an issue. “It is the government’s responsibility to shatter myths. That’s what I am doing. In 2024, cyberfraud worth Rs 22,800 took place in our country. The Opposition asks how we will curb fraud, and when we provide Sanchar Saathi to citizens, they call it Pegasus. We cannot show truth to those who refuse to acknowledge it,” he said as quoted by NDTV.

Karge's 'democracy perishes' jibe at Centre

Kharge escalated his criticism of the Centre’s directive on the Sanchar Saathi app, calling it “yet another addition to the long list of attempts by the BJP to strangulate the voice of the people.” Posting on X, he said the Modi government’s unilateral move to preload the app “without taking into confidence various stakeholders and citizens is akin to dictatorship,” asking why the government “wants to know what citizens talk with their family and friends.”

Also Read: Govt invites Opposition for talks to end Parliament impasse over SIR

Kharge argued that this was not an isolated instance, pointing to Income Tax changes that he claimed had “bulldozed” digital privacy, turning daily online activity into a “24x7 monitoring zone.” He added that the RTI framework had been “strangulated” through amendments under the DPDP Act. Citing the Pegasus episode, he said it confirmed fears of widespread snooping. According to him, such actions reflect a regime seeking to “control, command and monetise citizens’ rights,” warning, “Democracy perishes. Dystopian era flourishes.”