BJP, Congress spar over using services of data firm Cambridge Analytica

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has pulled grand old party Congress into the controversy stirred by a London-based firm Cambridge Analytica. The firm is accused of harvesting private data from millions of Facebook profiles to influence and identify voter behaviour. Ravi Shankar Prasad has questioned the party’s association with a data analysis firm. In a press conference, Union Law Minister asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to come clean on the issue. "We ask Congress that how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica's CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. Company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India," he said.

Any covert or overt attempt to misuse Social Media including Facebook to influence India's electoral process through undesirable means will neither be tolerated, nor be permitted. Let Facebook note it very clearly : Shri @rsprasad pic.twitter.com/BFjXNIreG4

— BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) March 21, 2018

Warning Facebook chief, Prasad said the government will not tolerate the theft of Indians' data."Mr. Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. We have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India." BJP cited numerous media reports Congress allegedly hiring Cambridge Analytica after Rahul Gandhi was elevated as the President. (READ BELOW)

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Reacting to the allegations, Congress' Randeep Surjewala said: "BJP's factory of fake news has produced one more fake product today. It appears fake statements, fake press conferences & fake agendas have become everyday character of BJP and its 'Lawless' Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad." "Indian National Congress or the Congress President has never used or never hired the services of a company called Cambridge Analytica. It is a fake agenda and white lie being dished out by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad," he was further quoted by news agency ANI. Surejwala alleged Cambridge Analytica's linked website shows that in 2010 its services were used by BJP-JD(U). "Firm's Indian partner Ovlene Business Intelligence (OBI) is being run by BJP ally's MP's son. OBI company's services were used by Rajnath Singh in 2009." Britain's information commissioner Elizabeth Denham is reportedly examining the handling of millions of people's personal Facebook data by the social media giant. Denham is also investigating political campaign consultants Cambridge Analytica. Commissioner has pursued a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's servers. From Facebook, the company allegedly used data to help Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election. As per reports, she is also investigating Facebook. Commissioner has asked the Facebook not to pursue its own audit of Cambridge Analytica's data use.