THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Thursday reiterated that the party would examine decisions taken by the LDF government during the current extraordinary situation once the crisis subsides. Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Kodiyeri said the CPM and CPI have clear and similar policies regarding data privacy and information security. He was responding to queries on his meeting with CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran to discuss Sprinklr data transfer controversy.
“The opposition UDF is trying to defame the efforts of the state government to contain the pandemic. From the very beginning, the opposition was only interested in spreading unfounded theories like coronavirus won’t survive in extreme climatic conditions in Kerala. Now, they are cooking up stories about government’s engagement with a US-based software company founded by a Keralite,” Kodiyeri said.
Defending the LDF government’s decision to reach a deal with Sprinklr Inc without any discussion in the cabinet and without examining the legal aspects, Kodiyeri said it was done in an extraordinary situation. “But the allegation that data would be transferred outside are absurd. Government has taken all precautions to ensure data security. The issue is now in front of the high court… The opposition is afraid of the growing popularity of the government,” he said.
When asked about the breach of several protocols by the IT secretary while signing the deal with Sprinklr, Kodiyeri said all those are justifiable because of the extraordinary situation that prevails. “The CPM state secretariat has already made it clear that the party would look into the issue and examine all aspects once the dust is settled,” he said.
The visit of CPI state secretary to AKG Centre the other day was with the specific purpose of conveying the party’s displeasure over the cabinet being not taken into confidence while taking the decision to entrust Sprinklr with a major responsibility. Sources said Kanam didn’t find fault with the decision but was concerned about the absence of any consultation or discussion at least among the ministers and leading parties in the LDF. It is also learnt that IT secretary M Sivasankar met Kanam at the CPI headquarters to clear the air about the deal.
“It is only natural that the CPI leadership holds discussion with the CPM. We meet and discuss often. I had a discussion with Kanam yesterday. We have discussed and cleared all the issues,” Kodiyeri said in response to a query.
“The opposition UDF is trying to defame the efforts of the state government to contain the pandemic. From the very beginning, the opposition was only interested in spreading unfounded theories like coronavirus won’t survive in extreme climatic conditions in Kerala. Now, they are cooking up stories about government’s engagement with a US-based software company founded by a Keralite,” Kodiyeri said.
Defending the LDF government’s decision to reach a deal with Sprinklr Inc without any discussion in the cabinet and without examining the legal aspects, Kodiyeri said it was done in an extraordinary situation. “But the allegation that data would be transferred outside are absurd. Government has taken all precautions to ensure data security. The issue is now in front of the high court… The opposition is afraid of the growing popularity of the government,” he said.
When asked about the breach of several protocols by the IT secretary while signing the deal with Sprinklr, Kodiyeri said all those are justifiable because of the extraordinary situation that prevails. “The CPM state secretariat has already made it clear that the party would look into the issue and examine all aspects once the dust is settled,” he said.
The visit of CPI state secretary to AKG Centre the other day was with the specific purpose of conveying the party’s displeasure over the cabinet being not taken into confidence while taking the decision to entrust Sprinklr with a major responsibility. Sources said Kanam didn’t find fault with the decision but was concerned about the absence of any consultation or discussion at least among the ministers and leading parties in the LDF. It is also learnt that IT secretary M Sivasankar met Kanam at the CPI headquarters to clear the air about the deal.
“It is only natural that the CPI leadership holds discussion with the CPM. We meet and discuss often. I had a discussion with Kanam yesterday. We have discussed and cleared all the issues,” Kodiyeri said in response to a query.
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