CONGRESS SLAMS 'SNOOPING', BJP DEFENDS SANCHAR SAATHI

A political flashpoint erupted on Tuesday over the Centre's order to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app, sparking Congress claims of surveillance and BJP pushback.

- ANAND SINGH/TDG NETWORK

Representative image

A political storm broke out on Tuesday after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directed mobile manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices within 90 days, prompting the Congress to accuse the government of mass surveillance and demand an immediate rollback. The government and the BJP, however, insisted the app is a security tool meant to curb fraud and track stolen phones, not a snooping mechanism.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the directive "dictatorial", claiming it infringes on citizens' privacy and reflects the BJP's alleged pattern of intrusive surveillance.

"Sanchar Saathi is yet another attempt to strangulate the voice of the people," he posted on X, warning that preloading the app without consultation was "akin to dictatorship".