What Jyotiraditya Scindia said about controversy surrounding 'Sanchar Sathi' app; Priyanka Gandhi calls it a "spy app”
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has clarified on the row surrounding the Indian government's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directive to pre-install the Sanchar Sathi app on mobile phones.
He stated that if you don't want to have this app on your mobile phone, you can remove it, or delete it.
Following the controversy surrounding the app, he told reporters, "If you don't want to use this app, don't register. If you want to delete it, do so."
Earlier, the government had said that the app could not be removed.
Scindia also said, "But not everyone in the country knows that this app is meant to protect against fraud and theft. It is our responsibility to make this app available to everyone."
Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that the app will only be activated if you register; otherwise, it won't be.
Regarding the Opposition's concerns about the app, he said, "The opposition doesn't have any issues, and if they want to find issues, we can't help them."
This is a spying app: Priyanka
Earlier, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi had called the Sanchar Saathi app a "spy app."
Speaking to reporters, Priyanka said, "This is a spying app. I mean, it's frankly ridiculous."
The Congress MP said, "Citizens have the right to send private messages to their family and friends without the government's scrutiny."
She accused the central government, saying, "They are turning this country into a dictatorship in every way. Parliament isn't functioning because they're refusing to discuss any issues."
The Indian government's Department of Telecommunications issued a directive to smartphone manufacturers on Monday.
The directive mandated that they pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on new mobile phones sold from March 2026.
The directive stated that the Sanchar Saathi app would be used to "verify the authenticity of the IMEI used in mobile devices."
In a statement, the DOT said the move was taken "to help citizens avoid purchasing counterfeit handsets and understand the misuse of telecommunications resources."