The Ministry of Communications’ order dated November 28, requiring all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on new devices and push it onto existing handsets through software updates, has sparked controversy
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that the Sanchar Saathi app is another version of Pegasus spyware. File Pic
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday alleged that the government’s Sanchar Saathi app is effectively a rebranded version of the Pegasus spyware, accusing the BJP-led administration of attempting to spy on the very citizens who voted it into office, reported the PTI.
Speaking at his residence, Matoshree in Bandra area of Mumbai, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister argued that instead of placing people under surveillance, the government should focus on explaining how the Pahalgam attack in April -- which claimed 26 lives -- occurred and how terrorists continue to infiltrate India, as per the PTI.
The Ministry of Communications’ order dated November 28, requiring all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on new devices and push it onto existing handsets through software updates, has sparked controversy.
Opposition leaders have raised concerns about potential snooping and whether the app could give authorities access to users’ private messages.
“You must have heard about Pegasus. It would plant malware in phones and spy on people. They (the government) have now changed the name of Pegasus to Sanchar Saathi. They are spying,” Uddhav Thackeray alleged while addressing party workers, according to the PTI.
“You (the government) are showing mistrust in the people who placed their trust in you,” he added.
Meanwhile, In response to rising privacy concerns, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that snooping through the Sanchar Saathi app is neither possible nor will it be permitted.
He said the ministry is open to amending the installation order based on public feedback. Stressing that the app is intended to protect users, Scindia noted that consumers would retain choice and if one does not register on the app, it will remain inactive, and users may delete it if they wish
“If you want to delete it, then delete it,” Scindia told reporters outside Parliament, adding, “But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft.”
Dismissing the charges, Scindia reiterated that the app has no surveillance features.
“There is no snooping on the basis of this, nor is there any call monitoring,” he said, adding, “If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you don’t want to use it, then don’t register it. If you register it, then it will remain active. If you don’t register it, then it will remain inactive.”
(with PTI inputs)
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