Leaders of opposition parties on Tuesday targeted the Union government over the directions to mobile companies to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on mobile phones, calling it a ‘dystopian’ tool to ‘snoop’ on citizens. However, amid the row, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday that installing the ‘fraud reporting’ app on all devices would be optional and could be deleted by users. Criticizing the Centre, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the Centre’s Sanchar Saathi app a tool to “snoop” on citizens’ mobile phones, describing it as a move to turn India into a dictatorship. Vadra’s comments came a day after the communications ministry directed smartphone makers to pre-install the app on all devices to be sold within the next three months. “Sanchar Saathi is a snooping app, and it’s clearly ridiculous. Citizens have the right to privacy. Everyone should 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 on Monday said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directions to mobile phone companies for pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi application in mobile phones are aimed at protecting citizens from purchasing non-genuine mobile phones and enabling easy reporting of suspected misuse of telecom resources. The DoT issued these directions on November 28 to manufacturers and importers of mobile phones intended for use in India under the provisions of the Telecom Cyber ​​Security Act. This was widely interpreted as an instruction that the application would not be removable. However, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday clarified that users will only have the option to activate the app if they choose, and will also be allowed to delete it. “This app does not enable snooping or call monitoring. You can enable or disable it as per your wish… If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It’s optional… It’s about customer protection. I want to clear all misconceptions… It’s our duty to introduce this app to everyone. To keep it on their devices or not is up to the user like any new app… It can only be deleted from any new app…” agency ANI and said later shared it on his X account as well. Speaking ahead of Scindia’s explanation, Vadra said that while cyber security measures are necessary, they do not give the government a license to intrude into citizens’ private lives. “There is 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 needs to be an efficient system to report fraud. We discussed it in detail, there is a need for cyber security, but that doesn’t mean you get an excuse to go into every citizen’s phone. I don’t think any citizen will be happy,” she said. Pegasus spyware CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also criticized the move and invoked the Pegasus spyware controversy. He further questioned the status of the CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) following 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 the outcome of CERT-In’s investigation into state-sponsored iPhone hacks? Questions asked in Parliament about this have been consistently dismissed… Next step, of course: 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, Brother Congress General Secretary, wrote on Monday on X. Declaring that the right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty. “Big Brother cannot monitor us. This DoT direction is beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, contained in Article 21 of the Constitution. “A pre-loaded government program that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means of monitoring every movement, interaction and decision of every citizen,” Venugopal said in a post on X. Venugopal also shared the DoT direction under Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended) on pre-installing the Sanchar Saathi app in mobile phones to check their authenticity. Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), and other applicable laws. These directives will shall come into effect immediately and shall remain in force until amended or withdrawn by the DoT,” the communication said. On Tuesday, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury moved an adjournment notice in the Rajya Sabha requesting suspension of business to discuss the government’s directives on installing the Sanchar Saathi app. She requested a discussion under the other business. case. What did the government say. A press release from the Ministry of Communications said on Monday that the DoT has issued directions for the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app to verify the authenticity of mobile phones. issued directions dated 28.11.2025 that the manufacturer and importers of mobile phones intended for use in India under the provisions of the Telecom Cyber ​​Security, said the ministry note issued on December 1. What is Sanchar Saathi Initiative? The DoT is undertaking the Sanchar Saathi initiative to combat the misuse of telecom resources and ensure that telecom resources are not misused. said The department has developed a Sanchar Saathi portal and application that enables citizens to check the authenticity of a mobile phone through the IMEI number, along with other facilities such as checking suspected fraudulent communications, lost/stolen mobile phones, checking mobile connections in their name, trusted contact details of banks/financial institutions, it said in a press conference on Tuesday that right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty “People ask whether The Sanchar Saathi app is meant to spy on you. The government doesn’t want to spy on you. It can’t listen to your calls or the calls you receive. It can’t access your private data.” Patra said. (With agency input)