Sanchar Saathi Optional, Says Government Amid Rising Privacy Concerns

Union minister for communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app at the centre of a heated privacy debate will remain optional for users, even if smartphone makers are instructed to pre-load it. The minister’s remarks come a day after the Centre’s directive triggered a political storm, with the Opposition calling it a tool for “constant surveillance”.

Scindia said the government’s responsibility was only to introduce the app to citizens. “Keeping it in their devices or not is up to the user. If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional,” he told ANI.

The Centre has argued that the app helps verify the authenticity of mobile phones and assists in tracking devices if lost or stolen. But Opposition leaders and privacy activists say mandatory pre-installation undermines user autonomy and raises fears of misuse. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury moved an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue, calling it a potential threat to privacy. Even Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has often supported the government on previous matters, termed any compulsory app “troubling” in a democracy.

The BJP, however, defended the mandate. Party MP Shashank Mani Tripathi said the app enhances cyber safety. “I’m from IIT, so I understand the types of cyberattacks happening today. This app will strengthen citizen security,” he said.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition of “manufacturing issues” to disrupt the winter session, which is already witnessing protests over voter roll revisions, national security concerns after the Delhi blast, and rising pollution levels. With the session scheduled until December 19, repeated disruptions are likely as the debate over privacy, surveillance, and user choice intensifies.