Why are Opposition leaders calling the new app ‘Pegasus 2.0’?
According to reports, the Indian government has secretly ordered smartphone companies to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on their devices. The government says the purpose of the app is to track and block stolen phones and prevent their misuse.
Opposition leaders reacted to the government for this move.
The government’s directive to pre-install a government-owned app on smartphones has led to a bitter political standoff between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition. Opposition leaders called for instructions from the government and claimed it was a new method of state surveillance. Amid the uproar, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tried to douse the fire by saying that the app was not mandatory and users were free to delete the app from their devices. So what are the Opposition’s concerns and why are they comparing the app to the infamous Pegasus spyware?
What is the government’s instruction?
According to reports, the Indian government has secretly ordered smartphone companies to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on their devices. The government says the purpose of the app is to track and block stolen phones and prevent their misuse. Center also wants producers to make sure the app isn’t disabled. The government has also reportedly asked manufacturers to push the app to phones already in the supply chain via software updates.
What do opposition leaders say?
While Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi called Sanchar Saathi a “surveillance app”, Congress leaders are also criticizing the government for this move. His brother and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi said he would raise the issue in Parliament. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal also criticized the directive, calling it an “attack on privacy”. In a post on X, he said: “Big Brother cannot monitor us. This DoT administration is beyond unconstitutional.” Is it the official Pegasus or is it similar to North Korea’s REDFLAG App that is available on every mobile phone?” asked one X post.
The government defends the practice
BJP leaders rubbished the Opposition’s allegations about the Sanchar Saathi app. Following the reactions, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the app was not mandatory. “If you want to enable it, do it. If you do not want to enable it, do not do it. If you wish, delete it. It is completely your choice,” Scindia said.
