New Delhi, Dec 2 (NationPress) In light of the ongoing debate concerning the Sanchar Saathi app, the Congress party expressed its discontent with the Central Government on Tuesday, labeling the action as Orwellian and accusing it of encroaching on the private lives of citizens.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram voiced his concerns outside Parliament, stating, “This is truly Orwellian. It seems like Big Brother is intent on monitoring everyone's emotions and messages. They aim to intrude into our personal lives. A mobile phone is no longer merely a device for communication; it has become a recorder of our everyday lives. Individuals store cherished memories, private chats, and personal conversations within it. The government now seeks access to all of this.”

He further added, “This infringes upon liberty and personal freedoms. This is not the way democracies operate. It is alarmingly undemocratic and must be challenged. Such initiatives will undermine personal privacy and violate citizens’ rights. The government cannot encroach upon our private spaces like this.”

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also questioned the rationale behind making the app mandatory.

He remarked, “If I see the necessity for such an app, I should have the option to download it voluntarily. If I choose not to, I should not be compelled to install it. That is simply common sense. The government needs to justify its mandate.”

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain raised additional questions, asking, “Will the government install this on every citizen's device and monitor their daily activities? Is this what governance has devolved into—tracking 1.4 billion individuals?”

RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha echoed these sentiments.

He stated, “What does the name imply—Sanchar Saathi? It does not serve as a ‘saathi’ (companion) for citizens; it appears to be a companion solely for the government. We have heard of surveillance states and Orwellian systems. Apart from Russia, such practices are virtually nonexistent elsewhere. If a government with such overwhelming power still feels insecure, then may God assist it.”

In contrast, the BJP defended the initiative.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad noted, “The government will soon provide clarification. However, as someone knowledgeable in telecom systems, I must ask—are people not facing cybercrimes? Incidents of digital arrests and online fraud have surged, and even the Supreme Court has mandated CBI inquiries into several cases. With numerous apps already present on devices, adding one more should not be seen as a significant issue. It is simply a protective measure.”

BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat also backed the initiative, stating, “India is a vast nation, and we take pride in adopting digitalization early. While this digital transition has brought numerous benefits, it has also led to a rise in cyber fraud. Even well-educated individuals have fallen victim. Thus, this app represents a positive advancement. However, it is crucial to ensure that it is not misused.”

Earlier, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that the Sanchar Saathi mobile app is not mandatory and can be deleted amidst privacy concerns.

In addressing the media, Scindia emphasized that it is up to individuals whether to keep the app, and it can be removed from smartphones.

“If you do not wish to use Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional... Our responsibility is to introduce this app to everyone. Whether to keep it on their devices is up to the users,” stated the Union Minister.

He also assured that the “platform does not facilitate snooping or call monitoring.”

This clarification comes as the government's decision to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new mobile devices manufactured or imported for use in India was widely interpreted as a breach of privacy.

Critiquing the move, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra labeled it a “violation of privacy and a step towards authoritarian governance.”

The government has maintained that its intention is to protect citizens from acquiring counterfeit products.

According to the guidelines issued on November 28, mobile manufacturers and importers must ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is prominently visible and accessible to end users during the initial setup of the device, and its functions are not disabled or limited.

Furthermore, all devices that have already been manufactured and are available in sales channels in India must have the app pushed through software updates, as per the manufacturers and importers’ obligations.

Companies are required to complete this implementation within 90 days and submit a report in 120 days.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is spearheading the Sanchar Saathi initiative to combat the misuse of telecom resources concerning cyber fraud and to ensure telecom cybersecurity.

In a separate statement, the DoT mentioned that it has observed that some app-based communication services using Indian mobile numbers for customer identification or service delivery allow users to access their services without the necessity of the underlying Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) within the device running the app-based services.