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As a furore erupted over Centre's decision to mandate pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi app on all mobile phones, Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday urged everyone not to go on rumours.
"Do not go by what the rumours are in the public domain. 7B also does not say that you cannot uninstall the app. The problem is a lot of reality is lost if you don't go into the details. 7 B only says that the phones should have the apps installed and there should be no hindrance for the users to access it, and that it should not be disabled so that the user cannot use it. No where does 7B say that the user cannot delete the app. 7 B not for users. The user, like any app in mobile can go and delete it. So let's not misunderstand what 7 B stands for," Scindia told reporters outside parliament. Scindia said that the government "only has one goal in mind," the safety of common people. "We only have one goal in hand, the safety of common people. We want to save the people from cyber fraud. Total fraud of Rs 22,800 crore happened in last year. On one hand everyone says in one tune that the common people should be saved from fraud. The task of saving from fraud happens through Sanchar Saathi, that too in such a small time. The numbers of which I have already given in the house," he further said. Earlier, while speaking in Parliament, Scindia reiterated that the Sanchar Saathi application can be deleted from mobile phones and will not be operational until the user registers on it. Addressing the Lok Sabha, Scindia refuted the speculation around snooping after the Centre passed a directive to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app in mobile handsets. Replying to a question by Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, the Union Minister said, "I want to keep all the facts in front of the nation. We have one billion (mobile) users, but there are elements who use it in a negative manner. It is the government's duty to keep the citizens safe. Sanchar Saathi portal was started in 2023 with this mind, and the app was brought in 2025... We decided to give a choice to all the citizens. If the app is on your phone, it does not mean it will operate automatically. Till the user registers in the app, it will not operate." According to the Ministry of Telecommunication, the directions issued on November 28 aim to safeguard citizens from purchasing non-genuine handsets, enable easy reporting of suspected telecom misuse, and improve the effectiveness of the Sanchar Saathi initiative. (ANI)
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