Whistleblower Christopher testifies in the UK House of Commons on Tuesday.(AP Photo/File)
Christopher Wylie, the whistleblower behind the revelation of major data theft by his former employer Cambridge Analytica, on Tuesday kicked up a fresh controversy after he claimed the Congress was one of the parties in India to engage its services. Testifying in the UK Parliament, Wylie said, “I believe their client was Congress but I know that they have done all kinds of project. I don’t remember a national project but I know regionally.”
Adding that the firm has major offices in India, Wylie added, “India’s so big that one state can be as big as Britain. But they do have offices there, they do have staff.”
Cambridge Analytica controversy rocks Indian politics: Who said what
Wasting no time, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an apology from Congress today. He told reporters in New Delhi: “Today the whistleblower Christopher Wylie has confirmed that Cambridge Analytics worked with Congress. This has exposed Rahul Gandhi who was denying all along. Congress and Rahul Gandhi must now apologise.”
Countering Prasad’s allegations, Congress leader Surjewala said, “It is all false, why is India’s perpetually lying Law Minister throwing allegations in the media, he is in power why doesn’t he show all proof and then register an FIR. We challenge you. They fear they will be exposed if they probe.”
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Both the BJP and the Congress have been trading charges with each other over using the services of the tainted firm. Even though Cambridge Analytica’s Indian partner Ovleno Business Intelligence (OBI), owned by Amrish Tyagi, son of senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi, lists BJP, Congress and JD(U) as its clients on its website, all the parties had said they have not used the data firm’s services in elections. Congress had alleged that the government had “invented” a story about the Congress’ alleged links with a controversial data firm to divert the media attention from the death of of Indians in Iraq’s Mosul.
Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal: How data can be used to acquire voters
The whistleblower at the heart of the Facebook privacy scandal testified before British lawmakers investigating the increasing rise of fake news. Wylie had alleged that Cambridge Analytica harvested details of 50 million Facebook users and used the material in US President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. It is alleged the material made it possible to micro-target users with campaign material.