NEW DELHI: BJP and Congress on Wednesday accused each other of using the services of Cambridge, a company that reportedly engaged in data manipulation in various countries to influence voters for its client.Citing media reports, including in the Economic Times, that said Congress will use the services of Cambridge Analytica in the elections, Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad at a press conference sought clarifications from the Grand Old Party.“We would like to ask the Congress if it will now depend on data manipulation and theft to win elections? Secondly, Cambridge Analytica has allegedly also used sex, sleaze and fake news . Is Congress also going to use these methods to influence voters in India?” Prasad said.Prasad warned that if it is found during investigations that collusive methods were used government will take serious note of the same.The company is in the eye of a storm in the US as well as Brazil and Kenya for allegedly influencing elections for some political parties.“We support freedom of press and free exchange of views on social media. But if there is covert or overt use of social media, including Facebook , to influence elections process will not be tolerated,”he said.He also had a word of caution for Facebook and Mark Zukerberg. Noting that the maximum number of Facebook followers were based in India- the figure stands at 20 Cr, Prasad said if any case of data theft by the company is found it will not be tolerated and the government will not hesitate in summoning Zuckerberg to India, if need be.BJP also demanded that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should explain what role was played by Cambridge Analytica in managing his social media account. Prasad said some months ago Gandhi’s twitter account had seen a spurt in the number of followers and it was suspected that bots based in Kazakhstan and Russia were involved.“Has Congress done some data trade with Cambridge Analytica? Were the services of this company used by Congress in the Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and North East elections? And will it use the services of this company in Karnataka polls?” Prasad said.Congress dismissed these charges as "typical fake news" and hit back saying it as BJP and JD(U) that questionably used the Cambridge Analytica during the elections.“The firm’s Indian partner Ovleno Business Intelligence (OBI) is being run by the BJP ally’s MP’s son. OBI company’s services were used by Rajnath Singh in 2009,” AICC spokesperson Randdep Surjewala said."The firm “managed four election campaigns successfully for the ruling BJP. Achieved target of 272+ by managing call center management project profiling of each and every volunteer supporter who had extended his/her support to get involved in Mission 272. It is not me who is saying so; it is Cambridge Analytica which is saying so," surjewala said referring to the website of the Indian arm of CA.The website he referred to, that of Ovleno Business Intelligence, has since been suspended.