NEW DELHI: The gloves were off on Wednesday as the ruling BJP and the Congress traded allegations on which political party had used the services of Cambridge Analytica (CA), a data analytics firm accused of illegally mining private data of Facebook users.

Citing information available on the website of Ovleno Business Intelligence (OBI) -- an Indian affiliate of CA's parent company Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL) -- Congress charged that the firm furnished a constituency-wise database to BJP and JD(U) candidates for state and national elections.

"Cambridge Analytica's linked website shows that in 2010 its services were used by BJP-JD(U). Firm's Indian partner Ovlene Business Intelligence is being run by BJP ally's MP's son. OBI company's services were used by Rajnath Singh in 2009," Congress communications-in-charge Randeep Surjewala told mediapersons at a press conference.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra countered and said the firm in question was founded in 2013 and could not have worked with either party in 2010. He added that all and sundry wished to take credit for the saffron party's successful campaign in the 2014 election, even if they had played no part in it.

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"BJP has nothing to hide. Let me say that as far as 2014 BJP campaign is concerned 1,000 websites and 10,000 individuals had sought credit for the same and we have seen the named company has downed its website after allegation that it was carrying the name of BJP," Patra told reporters.

Alluding to several alleged meeting between opposition leaders and the CA's now-sacked CEO Alexander Nix, the BJP leader hinted that the government will launch a probe into the matter.

"Government of the day is not going to take it lightly. Government is of course going to investigate and truth will come to the fore. Rahul Gandhi should come forward and answer the questions which have been put to him," Patra said.

The Congress strongly denied availing the services of CA after Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the party's, and its chief Rahul Gandhi's, links to the data analytics firm. CA, Prasad said, has been accused of using "sex, sleaze and fake news" to influence elections and enquired if the Grand Old Party too plans to walk the same path.

"How many times did Rahul Gandhi and Nix meet and what did they discuss? What is the CA's role in Rahul Gandhi's social media presence," Prasad demanded.

Rebutting the BJP minister's salvos, Surjewala said: "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."

Prasad also alleged that the Congress party committed data theft and manipulated data to win elections, a charge the Congress refuted as "fake news".

"BJP's factory of fake news has produced one more fake product today. It appears fake statements, fake press conferences and fake agendas have become everyday character of BJP and its 'Lawless' Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad," Surjewala said.

The Congress spokesperson went on to remark that the BJP leader was blaming others when he was the captain of a leaking ship.

"The country's IT and Law minister knows more about leaks than anyone else - be it Aadhaar database or call records, whichever ministry he's in charge of develops leaks," Surjewala jibed.

Cambridge Analytica has been in the eye of the storm following an investigation by Britain's Channel 4 which alleged that the firm mined personal information of Facebook users for political purposes. UK authorities are also investigating reports that CA used data harvested from the social networking site in the voter research it conducted for US President Donald Trump during the 2016 elections campaign.

At a press briefing earlier in the day, Prasad warned social media platforms like Facebook of stringent action if any attempt was made by them to influence the country's electoral process through "undesirable means".

"Let me make it very, very clear, we fully support freedom of press, speech and expression; we fully support free exchange of ideas on social media. But any attempt, covert or overt, by social media, including Facebook, of trying to influence India's electoral process through undesirable means will neither be appreciated nor be tolerated," Prasad said.

The Union minister also sought to know from the Congress how much data trade it had with Cambridge Analytica, in view of recent Gujarat and Northeast elections, and the upcoming assembly polls in Karnataka.



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