The National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre will initiate a probe into the complaints of illegal accumulation and integration of personal data pertaining to citizens of Telangana by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government through 'Samagra Vedika' initiative.
An assurance to this effect was given by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy to a delegation of Congress leaders from the state led by AICC official spokesperson Dasoju Sravan, who alleged that the data was being misused by TRS party for political gains.
He pointed out to a recent speech by IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan in which he had confessed that the State Government was using an algorithm which gathered the private data pertaining to various citizens available with various departments of the State and otherwise.
"The statements made by Jayesh Ranjan clearly reflect that the Government of Telangana has illegally indulged in secretive collection, integration and storage of data, more particularly, private and personal information of the citizens without their permission or consent," he said
"It is apparent that the Government of Telangana is literally tracking every digital transaction of citizens from various government departments, private organisations and banks and financial institutions including personal emails, passwords etc," Sravan said in the complaint.
Sravan alleged that the Telangana Government appeared to have dubious intent to utilize this massive people’s data for political or private purposes and hence, without any prior consent or without any specific reason has indulged in collation and storage of large amount of private information of individuals/citizens.
Describing the initiative as completely arbitrary, illegal and contrary to the law established by the Supreme Court, he said that the Supreme Court, in its judgement pertaining to Aadhar Law delivered in September 2018, had categorically opined that the right to privacy can’t be impinged without a just, fair and reasonable law.
