Congress terms BJP’s ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app mandate as ‘Orwellian’, demands immediate rollback
Opposition slams pre-installed app directive as a mass surveillance threat, raising privacy concerns and calling for urgent government withdrawal
New Delhi, Dec 03 : A political storm erupted on Wednesday as Congress strongly criticised the BJP-led government’s directive mandating the pre-installation of the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app on all new mobile phones. While the government cites the move as a measure to enhance digital security, critics have raised alarm over privacy violations and alleged state surveillance.
Congress leader and AICC Media Chief Pawan Khera condemned the mandate as an “Orwellian intrusion,” challenging claims that the app is optional and removable. “Section 7(b) of the government’s own directive clearly states the pre-installed app cannot be removed or disabled. The government’s clarification is a blatant attempt to mislead 140 crore citizens,” Khera said.
He further described the mandate as a violation of the Supreme Court-affirmed Right to Privacy. “In the BJP’s dictionary, IT no longer means ‘Information Technology’; it stands for ‘Identity Theft.’ This diktat attempts to normalise mass surveillance, compromising personal data and intruding into citizens’ private lives,” he asserted.
Defending the government’s stance in the Lok Sabha, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia dismissed privacy concerns, claiming the app cannot monitor users and activates only upon registration. “Snooping is neither possible nor will it ever happen through the app,” he said.
Khera also criticised another government directive requiring messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to link user accounts to active SIMs and enforce automatic logout from web sessions every six hours. He described the move as “suffocating” and accused the government of punishing over 80 crore digital users to expand its surveillance reach.
The Congress leader demanded an immediate withdrawal of both measures, warning that citizens will not tolerate violations of privacy, autonomy, and freedom under the guise of governance.
The controversy has intensified debates over the fine balance between digital security and individual privacy in India’s rapidly growing digital ecosystem.
