Centre backtracks on Sanchar Saathi; after outcry, says app ...

Several companies, including Apple, were reported to have taken a firm position that the mandate in its current form could not be implemented on their platforms without fundamental OS-level changes. Industry sources said the company would hold further discussions with the government in an attempt to find a workable arrangement, noting that Apple had not attended the working group meetings held with other mobile manufacturers.

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Scindia rejected allegations that the app allows the government to listen to calls or read messages, insisting that the Opposition is creating an issue where none exists. "If you want to delete it, then delete it," he told reporters outside Parliament. He added that the application exists to help citizens protect themselves from scams, stolen handsets and misuse of duplicate IMEI numbers. He said, "If you register it, then it will remain active. If you do not register it, then it will remain inactive." The minister cited internal data to defend the initiative, stating that the app has seen more than 1.5 crore downloads, helped disconnect approximately 2.75 crore fraudulent mobile connections and enabled the tracing of nearly 20 lakh stolen phones. According to him, around 7.5 lakh stolen devices have been returned to users and approximately 21 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected on the basis of user reporting.

Despite these claims, the Opposition has escalated its criticism. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury submitted an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion under Rule 267, arguing that the direction to preload the app amounted to a "grave affront" to the right to privacy, which is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution. She warned that a compulsory, undeletable app of this nature could enable pervasive surveillance of individuals' movements, interactions and decisions without robust safeguards or parliamentary oversight. Another party leader, Randeep Surjewala, described the directive as turning India into a "surveillance state" and questioned whether the order amounted to an official version of Pegasus. Surjewala also claimed that once installed, such an app would allow the government to monitor location, search history, calls, SMS and messaging applications. He said that pushing the app through software updates to older devices only deepened concerns.