New Delhi, Mar 21: The Congress and BJP on Wednesday traded charges against each other of hiring the services of Cambridge Analytica, the UK-based data analytics firm which allegedly breached data of over 50 million Facebook users.

The political barbs were exchanged a day after a fresh investigation by Britain's Channel 4 said Cambridge Analytica played a role in dwindling the voter sentiment in India, apart from the US, UK, Nigeria, Kenya and Czech Republic.

The Channel 4 report revealed that Cambridge Analytica had partnered with India-based Ovleno Business Intelligence (OBI), in a bid to influence the results of at least four elections in favour of its clients.

The OBI, on its website, lists the Congress, BJP and JD(U) as its political clients.

OBI is headed by Amrish Tyagi, the son of JD(U) MP K C Tyagi. While speaking to reporters, he dismissed manipulating the electoral mood, saying, "Our company had partnered with Cambridge (Analytica) to provide details emerging from the ground. We were not involved in any social media or digital campaigns."

Congress has hired Cambridge Analytica for 2019 campaign: Law Minister

BJP was first to target Congress for allegedly hiring the services of the tainted data analytics firm, claiming that the Congress is "using Cambridge Analytica to mislead voters" ahead of 2019.

"My question to Congress party is whether to win elections, Congress will depend on data manipulation and theft of data," said Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

"What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi," he further asked.

Prasad said the social media campaign of the Congress is "being managed" by the UK-based firm.

On being asked whether the BJP had ever subscribed to Cambridge's services, the Law Minister categorically denied.

Congress levels counter-charge

Congress' spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, while denying the allegations levelled by the BJP, claimed that the saffron party was the beneficiary of Cambridge Analytica's campaign in a spree of elections between 2014 and 2015.

"Congress or the Congress president has never used or ever hired the services of the said firm. This is a fake agenda, a white lie by the Law Minister," Surjewala said.

"Instead, the BJP used the services of the firm in assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana in 2014 and the Delhi assembly elections in 2015," he added.

"The incumbent Home Minister, Rajnath Singh had hired the services of the company in 2009. Should we then assume that the Law Minister is targeting the Home Minister?"

FB data breach: How the scandal erupted?

A founding employee of Cambridge Analytica, Christopher Wylie, who worked with the firm till 2014, turned a whistleblower earlier in the month, providing details about the alleged breach of over 50 million FB accounts.

The data was extracted by luring Facebook users to download an app, designed by Cambridge University's psychology professor Dr Aleksandr Kogan. The application not only harvested the personal data of users who downloaded the application, but also of those on their friend list.

Facebook has so far denied the charge, claiming the data could be breached only of those users who downloaded the ingenuine app, "after accepting the terms and conditions".

What could be the impact of data breach in India?

Facebook has over 20 crore users from India, the Law Minister said on Wednesday. "While we have welcomed the company with folded hands, they should not expect that we will tolerate any breach of data," he said.

"Any attempt to interfere in the electoral process of India will not only be congested, but also penalised," Ravi Shankar Prasad added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2018 04:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).