New Delhi

Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, on Wednesday reiterated that the Sanchar Saathi application can be deleted from mobile phones and will not be operational until the user registers on it.

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Scindia refuted the speculation around snooping after the Centre passed a directive to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app in mobile handsets.

Replying to a question by Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, the Union Minister said, "I want to keep all the facts in front of the nation. We have one billion (mobile) users, but there are elements who use it in a negative manner. It is the government's duty to keep the citizens safe. Sanchar Saathi portal was started in 2023 with this mind, and the app was brought in 2025... We decided to give a choice to all the citizens. If the app is on your phone, it does not mean it will operate automatically. Till the user registers in the app, it will not operate."

Scindia also said that the government is ready to bring a change in the order by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) if the public feedback demands so.

"I can delete it like any other app, as every citizen has this right in a democracy. We took this step to make the app accessible to all. The success of the app is based on public participation. Based on the public feedback, we are ready to bring a change in the order. Snooping is not possible, nor will it be done," he added.

During the Question Hour, Deepender Singh Hooda raised concern, claiming that all the features of the app may not be disabled even if the user wanted.

"A directive for pre-installation of the Sanchar Saarthi app has been passed. The Union Minister said that it will be pre-installed, but later the user can delete it. However, when there is a pre-loaded app, even after disabling it, the users would not know if all the features have been disabled or not. Is it an attack on privacy? There are concerns over snooping," the Congress MP had asked.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has mandated that the mobile handsets must have the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application readily visible and accessible to end users at the time of first use or device setup, and its functionalities must not be disabled or restricted, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement Monday evening.

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On Tuesday, the Opposition leaders flagged concerns over the directive, calling it a move to breach privacy, while Scindia maintained that the activation of the Sanchar Saathi app on mobile handsets is not mandatory, and it is fully up to the consumers to use it or delete it like any other app.