BJP defends Sanchar Sathi as an app that secures mobile devices and users; rejects snooping charge

The BJP connected Tuesday (December 2, 2025) dismissed the allegation made by the Congress and others that the Sanchar Sathi mobile application volition beryllium utilized to facilitate surveillance of people. It said the app has been designed solely to unafraid mobile phones and their users, not to entree idiosyncratic data.

At a property conference, BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said the app had truthful acold helped observe astir 1.75 crore fraudulent mobile connections, hint adjacent to 26 lakh stolen/missing phones, and retrieve 7.5 lakh phones.

He said Sanchar Sathi cannot work messages, perceive to calls, oregon extract idiosyncratic information from a user’s device. Responding to the concerns astir forced adoption, helium reiterated the government’s clarification that installing Sanchar Sathi is optional. “It tin beryllium deleted similar immoderate different app,” the BJP person said, adding that lone those disquieted that their malpractices whitethorn beryllium detected would ne'er usage it.

The BJP person said the app helps users study suspicious calls, spams, and malicious links, way and retrieve stolen oregon mislaid mobile phones, observe International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) duplications for usage successful immoderate transgression activity, place mobile numbers obtained utilizing forged oregon stolen identities, and emblem planetary calls spoofed arsenic section numbers. The app besides has verified helpline numbers for banks and indispensable services. The app does not prosecute successful passive monitoring oregon immoderate hidden inheritance activity, said Mr. Patra.

The BJP person said the app has been developed successful consultation with the stakeholders, successful presumption of the expanding cases of IMEI duplication, SIM misuse, cyber fraud, peculiarly targeting the elderlies not assured of operating integer devices, and crimes involving mobile fig sacquired with mendacious identities. “Those who dispersed misinformation volition ne'er recognize what Sanchar Sathi is. Such critics whitethorn proceed to misrepresent the initiative, but the publi cmust cognize the facts,” helium said.

Replying to a station by Congress main Mallikarjun Kharge connected X against Sanchar Sathi, Mr. Patra termed the Opposition arsenic “Dushprachar (misinformation) Sathi”. “The app is not a unilateral move. In the Modi government, stakeholders are taken into confidence. The Congress discusses everything else, but for the issues which pertain to protecting democracy...,” said Mr. Patra, asserting that the Congress’s allegations connected the Pegasus contented had been dismissed successful the Supreme Court.

Criticising the “behaviour” of Congress leaders successful Parliament, Mr. Patra said adjacent “nursery schoolhouse students behave much responsibly than Rahul Gandhi and his associates”. He said the authorities is unfastened to treatment connected each issues of nationalist involvement successful Parliament. “There should beryllium meaningful debate, not specified speech of accusations,” helium added.