The BRICS TimesThe telecom regulator clarified that SMS approvals are decided by service providers, not by the authority itself
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday dismissed allegations by Congress that it had interfered with the party’s attempt to send text messages to its workers in Maharashtra about a recently released documentary on alleged electoral irregularities.
In its clarification issued through the Ministry of Communications, TRAI stated that it “categorically denies any role in the acceptance or rejection of such individual SMS campaigns. The approval or rejection of SMS message templates is carried out by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). TRAI is not involved in the acceptance or rejection of individual SMS campaigns.”
The response from the telecom regulator followed accusations made by Congress on Sunday, where the party claimed its SMS communication drive, aimed at informing its cadres about the documentary accusing the 2024 Maharashtra election of being “stolen,” had been obstructed. Congress said the regulator treated the messages as “protest content” and prevented their circulation.
Congress data analytics chief Praveen Chakravarty alleged that central agencies were being used to prevent the spread of critical information. He termed the rejection as “synchronisation between the home ministry, Election Commission and telecom regulator.” Chakravarty also shared a screenshot online showing what he described as a refusal attributed to TRAI.
He further attached an image of a rejection note that seemed to originate from service provider STPL. Reacting to this, TRAI posted a clarification saying, “Apparently the application was submitted to one of the service providers who rejected it. TRAI was at no stage involved in this process.”
Responding to TRAI’s statement, Chakravarty remarked, “We followed the exact same process that we follow for sending bulk SMS to our party workers which we do nearly every week. This time it was rejected. Why? What was so harmful about this message? Trai is trying to absolve itself by passing the blame to its licensed agent. The approval process is laid out by TRAI. These are irrefutable facts.”
The documentary at the centre of the controversy was released two weeks ago by journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, under the title Maharashtra Manipulated? How Elections Were Stolen in India’s 2nd Largest State.
