Describing the collection of personal data of people by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government through the network of village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh as an infringement of the privacy of individuals, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has sought the intervention of the Central government to stop the practice.
Addressing the media at the campsite of the ‘Yuva Galam’ padayatra undertaken by TDP national general secretary N. Lokesh near Kodapuram in Nellore district on July 14 (Friday), party spokespersons Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy and Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar alleged that the collection of personal data of individuals was aimed at ‘serving the political ends of the ruling party’.
“The TDP will appraise Union Home Minister Amit Shah on how the village and ward volunteers are being misused to do a 360-degree data profiling on households to serve the political interests of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, costing the exchequer almost ₹600 crore. Nowhere in the world do the governments allow 360-degree profiling as it may lead to disastrous consequences if it falls on the wrong hand,” said Mr. Venkata Ramana Reddy.
This whole operation of data mining had been given to three consulting firms with doubtful credentials, the TDP leader alleged and took strong exception to the storage of data pertaining to Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Data mining process
‘’The I-PAC team has admitted that it was involved in the data mining process and referred to their statements in their social media accounts and websites. Unicorn corporate services entity was also involved in this exercise as a frontal entity of the YSRCP with its IT advisor Raji Kasi Reddy taking an active part,” the TDP leaders said, adding that this entity shares a common address with Aadan Distilleries in which YSRCP MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy allegedly had stakes.
The TDP leader claimed that the village and ward volunteers reported to ‘Gruha Saradhis’ appointed by the YSRCP and the latter reported to Field Operation Agency officers at the mandal, district and State level. “The profiling being done was so intense that nothing secret to the households is left out. This profiling has led to the segregation of voters based on party lines, resulting in large-scale deletion of voters who are considered to be sympathisers of the TDP from the electoral rolls and shifting of the members of families to far-away booths,” they alleged.
They referred to an example of the ‘FB-Cambridge Analytica episode‘ in the U.S.A. presidential election which led to serious affirmative action by the Senate against the entities involved.
