New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP K.C. Venugopal on Monday unleashed one of his sharpest attacks ever on the Central government, calling the Department of Telecommunications’ latest directive to pre-install the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app on every new smartphone sold in India a “blatant assault on the Constitution” and the “final nail in the coffin of personal privacy”.

In a series of explosive posts and an official statement, Venugopal wrote: “Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT Direction is beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21. A factory-fitted, non-removable government app on every Indian’s phone is nothing but state spyware dressed up as ‘cyber security’.”

“This pre-loaded app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every movement, every interaction, every personal decision of 1.4 billion citizens. From Pegasus to VPN bans to now forcing ‘Sanchar Saathi’ down every throat, this is the latest episode in the BJP’s relentless war on constitutional rights. We completely reject this authoritarian Direction and demand its immediate and unconditional rollback,” the senior Congress leader said.

The trigger for the outrage is a DoT order dated 28 November 2025 (No. 1-7/2025-AI DIU) that mandates every manufacturer and importer to pre-install the government’s Sanchar Saathi application on all mobile handsets sold in India within 90 days.

The app, ostensibly meant to detect fake/duplicate IMEI numbers and allow citizens to report suspicious devices, will be non-disableable and must remain “readily visible and accessible” to users.

Venugopal accused the government of “weaponising a legitimate anti-fraud tool into a mass-surveillance monster” and warned that once every Indian phone permanently carries a government app that cannot be deleted, “there will be no private moment left in this country”.

The Congress leader announced that the party will challenge the order in the Supreme Court and will launch a nationwide campaign “Mera Phone, Meri Marzi – No to Digital Dictatorship”.

Several digital rights organisations, opposition chief ministers and even some BJP allies have expressed unease, with sources saying the issue is likely to explode when Parliament’s Winter Session begins next week. As of now, the Ministry of Communications has not responded to the mounting criticism.

–IANS

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