The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the Sanchar Saathi app, asserting that it is designed to safeguard users against telecom fraud, and not to spy on them. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the platform functions like any other application, and users are free to delete it from their phones if they choose to.
Sanchar Saathi cannot read messages, listen to calls
“Those who are champions of misinformation will never understand what Sanchar Saathi is,” Sambit Patra said during a press briefing at BJP headquarters in New Delhi.
He added that through this app, the government doesn’t want to spy on the citizens. “Sanchar Saathi app cannot read your messages. Sanchar Saathi cannot listen to your calls – either the calls you receive or the calls you make. Sanchar Saathi cannot reach your personal data,” he said during the briefing before detailing the services the platform offers.
Patra further said that the app is intended to enhance consumer security by helping track lost or stolen smartphones and protect users from telecom fraud. He clarified that the app only reports issues such as spam calls, malicious links, or suspicious activity to the authorities. The app, he said, would also stop the duplication of the 15-digit IMEI code.
He added that the app will enable authorities to identify cases where multiple smartphones or SIM connections are registered under a single user – something that could be exploited for fraud. The app will also allow consumers to report international calls masked with Indian numbers beginning with +91.
LIVE: Addressing Press Conference at @BJP4India HQ, New Delhi. https://t.co/ZDcCTVPuUA
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) December 2, 2025
‘It’s up to you to download, delete’: Scindia
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that it is not mandatory to download the Sanchar Saathi app, adding that people can delete it from their smartphones like any other app.
“… If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional… It is our duty to introduce this app to everyone. Keeping it in their devices or not is up to the user…,” Scindia told reporters outside the Parliament.
“When the opposition has no issues, and they are trying to find some, we cannot help them. Our duty is to help the consumers and ensure their safety. The Sanchar Saathi app enables every consumer to ensure their safety…,” he added.
Scindia further said that the Sanchar Saathi portal has more than 20 crore downloads, and the app has more than 1.5 crore downloads.
“Sanchar Saathi has enabled the disconnection of nearly 1.75 crore fraudulent mobile connections. Around 20 lakh stolen phones have been traced, and around 7.5 lakh stolen phones have been handed over to their owners, all because of Sanchar Saathi…,” he further said, before stressing, “This app does not enable snooping or call monitoring. You can activate or deactivate it as per your wish… If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional….”
What is the Sanchar Saathi app?
The Sanchar Saathi app provides consumers with awareness material and updates related to telecom safety and information security. It is currently available on both Android and iOS devices, as well as desktop.
According to the Sanchar Saathi portal, users can access features such as blocking a lost or stolen phone, checking active mobile connections registered in their name, verifying the authenticity of a handset, and reporting suspected fraud through the Chakshu feature.
Additionally, users can access key emergency helplines through Sanchar Saathi, from reporting financial scams to seeking assistance during medical emergencies.
