In this Special Report, Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai discusses the controversy surrounding the government’s directive to pre-install the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app on all mobile phones. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarifies, ‘If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional.’ The opposition and privacy advocates, including lawyer Apar Gupta and Supreme Court Advocate N.S. Nappinai, raise concerns about potential surveillance, likening it to ‘Pegasus 2.0’. Former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati and Maharashtra Principal Secretary Brijesh Singh defend the move as a crucial step against cyber fraud. The show explores whether the app is a ‘cyber shield’ or a ‘snooping tool’ amid reports that tech giant Apple may resist the mandate.
