As Sanchar Saathi app controversy escalates, Jyotiraditya Scindia says 'up to you to download and delete'

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

Amid the escalating controversy over the Centre's latest Sanchar Saathi app order, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that the mobile app is "optional." Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Scindia also said that "the app can be deleted anytime and works only after user activation." "Totally up to you," the minister said, adding that the government "will find a way."

देश के हर नागरिक की डिजिटल सुरक्षा हमारी सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता है। ‘संचार साथी’ ऐप का उद्देश्य है कि प्रत्येक व्यक्ति अपनी निजता की रक्षा कर सके और ऑनलाइन ठगी से सुरक्षित रह सके। यह एक पूरी तरह स्वैच्छिक और लोकतांत्रिक व्यवस्था है-यूज़र चाहें तो ऐप को सक्रिय कर इसके लाभ ले सकते…

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— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) December 2, 2025

In the order, the Centre had directed all the manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets that are intended to use in India to "ensure pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup and its functionalities are not disabled or restricted."

The Opposition has slammed the order saying that this is a serious infringement of an individual’s privacy. Terming it “Pegasus++”, the Congress has said that “the government is trying to put surveillance on all the people of the country through this app.”

Similarly, Revolutionary Socialist Party MP NK Premachandran says, "... Installing the Sanchar Saathi app will adversely affect the right of privacy of individuals. Why is the government so eager to install such an app in the mobile phones of every individual? It is because of an ulterior motive to get all the confidential and personal information of a particular individual. That is infringing on the right of privacy. That is the fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution of India. It is totally objectionable. Therefore, the government must withdraw this proposal. Otherwise, it will affect and infringe the basic democratic right of individuals in our country..."