Amid uproar over Sanchar Saathi app, govt takes BIG move, tells companies to...

The central government on Wednesday withdrew an order mandating pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on smartphones sold in the country. The government said it had rolled back the mandate because "the number of users who have downloaded the app (over six lakh in 24 hours and 1.4 crore users overall) has been increasing rapidly." It added that the preinstallation order was "meant to accelerate this process." The withdrawal comes after the ordere triggered a huge political row, with leaders of the Opposition calling the app a spying tool.

Jyotiraditya Scindia clears the air

Earlier in the day, Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said in the Parliament that the app was optional and users were free to delete it from their devices. "Snooping is neither possible nor will it happen with the Sanchar Saathi app. And I can delete it like any other app...as every citizen has this right in a democracy. We took this step to make it accessible to all," he told the Lok Sabha. The government says the app is secure and only meant to protect citizens from cybercrimes.

Opposition leaders slammed govt

According to the government, Sanchar Saathi is a security and awareness platform developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). After the initial order, Opposition leaders from several parties slammed the government and expressed concerns that the app could be used as a tool for state surveillance. Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: "It is ridiculous. This isn't just about snooping on telephones - overall, they are turning this country into a dictatorship."