Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP over Sanchar Sathi app, says party keeping "vulture-like gaze" on citizens

New Delhi [India], December 2 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched a sharp political attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its directive mandating the activation of the Sanchar Saathi app on mobile headsets, claiming that the ruling party is now extending surveillance into the private spaces of citizens.
In a post shared on X, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that under BJP governance, not only has freedom of expression been curtailed, but the privacy of people's conversations inside their homes and families is also under threat.
"Those whose history itself has been one of spying, how can they possibly give up espionage? In the BJP government, the freedom of expression was already being snatched away; now, even the private conversations within homes, families, relatives, friendships, and businesses will come under the vulture-like gaze of BJP members and their associates. Now that the public has decided that it doesn't want the BJP government, it simply doesn't want it. If the BJP goes, privacy can be saved," Yadav's X post read.
Earlier today, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that activation of the 'Sanchar Saathi' app on mobile devices is entirely voluntary. He emphasised that users can choose to use the app or delete it at any time, just like any other application.
Scindia clarified that the Sanchar Saathi application is entirely voluntary for consumers, reiterating that neither installation nor activation is mandatory.
Addressing reporters outside Parliament, he stressed that users retain full autonomy; those who do not wish to use the app are free not to register, and they may also delete it at any time.
"If you want to activate it, do so. If you do not want to activate it, don't. Delete it if you wish. It is entirely your choice," said the minister.
Scindia emphasised that misinformation should not overshadow the app's consumer-protection benefits, noting that the platform has contributed to preventing financial frauds amounting to Rs 22,800 crore in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued directions requiring manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on devices sold in India to enhance consumer awareness and curb the circulation of duplicate or tampered IMEIs.
Developed under the Telecom Cyber Security framework, Sanchar Saathi supports users on both Android and iOS platforms, enabling verification of device authenticity and reporting of suspected fraud, thereby strengthening India's broader telecom-cybersecurity ecosystem. (ANI)