AP Cabinet denies allegations of data leak

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet which met here on Tuesday denied the allegations that important personal and family data pertaining to individuals has been leaked to private IT companies. 

The events that have been unfolding for the past three days clearly indicate that the Telangana government had put its police to task to get data from TDP’s App service providers so that they can access important data and pass it on to the opposition parties, it felt.

They also took note of an audio recording of a conversation between a call centre person reportedly belonging to the YSRCP office and TDP activist Srinu Nayak where in the caller gave exact details of the location of Nayak and asked him if he wants to meet YSRCP president Jaganmohan Reddy. Condemning such acts, the Cabinet members were of the opinion that this was a gross misuse of power. 

The narrow political games being played by the YSRCP and TRS, the members felt, would jeopardise the future of the IT companies in Telangana. The TS government which had taken up Samagra Survey had also utilised the services of private IT companies. Even the Niti Ayog has utilised the services of private IT consultants to analyse the huge data they had on various subjects from across the states.

It condemned the interference of the Telangana government in the administrative matters of another state which was against the Constitution. Even the Central government is not allowed to interfere in the administrative matters of a state government, the Cabinet members felt.  

There was no data theft and for argument sake if it has happened, then the AP government has to take necessary legal action. Referring to the TS Eamcet exam paper leak case which was traced to UP, the Cabinet said, it was the TS government which had taken up the investigation and not the UP government. Similarly, they should have informed the AP police and TS police has no right to probe the same on a fake complaint.

The Cabinet also condemned the statement of Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar against the AP government. He was behaving like a TRS activist and not a senior police officer. Any government official has to follow certain protocols. But Sajjanar has violated them, the Cabinet said. 

The AP government, the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said had placed all data that was meant for public consumption in the public domain. Even Jaganmohan Reddy had used necessary information from CM’s core dashboard and other government websites in debates in the Assembly. There is no question or possibility of anyone stealing any data.  

Naidu said the Opposition leader was frustrated and was in desperate condition as he cannot win the election through fair means and was being helped by the TRS and the BJP. He called upon the ministers to lodge complaints with District Collectors and the police in regard to filing of Form 7 by YSRCP activists and see that genuine voters’ names do not get deleted.