Priyanka Gandhi calls Sanchar Saathi 'dictatorship tool', "Ready to dicuss all issues", says Rijiju

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday responded to the Opposition's criticism of the Sanchar Saathi app, urging parties not to create disruptions in Parliament and assuring that the government is open to debate on all issues. Speaking to media reporters, Rijiju said, "They dont need to dig out issues. A list of businesses has been prepared, and there are many issues. We will have a debate on the issues raised by the opposition as well, and think about how we need to move ahead. They dont need to find new issues and disturb the Parliament." He emphasised that while every concern holds significance, using them to block Parliament proceedings is "not right." "All issues are important in their own place, but if you use these issues as a weapon to stall the Parliament, it is not right... We will hold talks with opposition leaders. I am in touch with them already... We are not belittling their issues, but there are many issues in the country, not just one," he said. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the recent order by the Department of Telecommunications calling the Sanchar Saathi App a snooping App. "It is a snooping app. It's ridiculous. Citizens have the right to privacy. Everyone must have the right to privacy to send messages to family, friends, without the government looking at everything... They are turning this country into a dictatorship in every form. The parliament is not functioning because the government is refusing to talk about anything. It's very easy to blame the Opposition. They are not allowing any discussion on anything... A healthy democracy demands discussion... There's a very fine line between reporting fraud and seeing what every citizen of India is doing on their phone. That's not how it should work," Congress MP KC Venugopal also criticised the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) directions mandating the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on mobile handsets, describing it as a "dystopian tool" for surveillance. The DoT has instructed manufacturers and importers to ensure the app is visible and accessible at first use and cannot be disabled. For devices already on the market, companies have been asked to push the app via software updates.

In a post, Venugopal invoked George Orwell's 1984, saying, "Big Brother cannot watch us." He termed the directions unconstitutional, alleging that users' movements and interactions would be monitored. According to the Ministry of Telecommunication, the directions issued on November 28 aim to safeguard citizens from purchasing non-genuine handsets, enable easy reporting of suspected telecom misuse, and improve the effectiveness of the Sanchar Saathi initiative. The ministry said implementation must be completed within 90 days, with manufacturers required to submit a compliance report within 120 days. The Sanchar Saathi portal and app allow users to verify handset authenticity through the IMEI number, report fraudulent communications or stolen devices, check mobile connections in their name, and access trusted contact details of banks and financial institutions.