Central government’s Sanchaar Saathi app is a device for espionage and data theft — Anurag Dhanda
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Anurag Dhanda, National Media In-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party, launched a sharp attack on the central government’s Sanchaar Saathi app and the SIR system. He said the Modi government is repeatedly taking steps that clearly show it does not respect citizens’ privacy, rights, or democratic processes.
Targeting the Sanchaar Saathi app, Anurag Dhanda said, “Ministers are saying the app is not mandatory and that people can delete it if they want. But the government notification states that it cannot be removed. What is the truth? The government is contradicting its own statements. This clearly shows that the intent is not right.”
He said this move is a direct assault on ordinary people’s private information. He added that people are now beginning to understand why the BJP government keeps taking surveillance-type measures. This government wants to peer into people’s lives and keep their data under its control. This is an open signal that the country is being pushed toward authoritarianism.
Anurag Dhanda said that in a democratic country like India, the government should follow the path of transparency and accountability, not create an atmosphere of fear by building apps and systems that monitor people. The party has also said that ordinary citizens will not tolerate any attack on their personal freedoms.
Responding to the SIR controversy, Anurag Dhanda said that the electoral process is the most important element of democracy and it is the government’s responsibility to keep it secure.
He said, “I believe governments in a democracy are formed through the electoral process, and that process is extremely important. The cases of BLO (Booth Level Officer) personnel committing suicide across the country, and the videos showing how much pressure they are under, the instructions they receive, and their mental distress — these matters need immediate discussion.”
He warned that if systems like SIR are being used to exert pressure, manipulate or influence the electoral process through government agencies, it would be a major threat to the entire democracy. Dhanda cautioned that democracy is not limited to casting votes alone. If the officials who run elections are themselves under pressure and frightened, how can the electoral process be impartial? This government is spreading distrust in the electoral system, and that will harm the whole country.
Anurag Dhanda demanded that the central government immediately clarify its position on the Sanchaar Saathi app and systems like SIR, order an independent investigation into these systems, and ensure that neither citizens’ privacy nor the integrity of the electoral process is compromised. He said the public is watching; the public will ask questions and demand answers. Now the government must become transparent.