Amrish Tyagi's statement comes after KC Tyagi denied allegations JD(U) hired SCL Group
Amrish Tyagi, son of Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi, has said his data analytics firm Ovleno Business Intelligence was "never associated with Cambridge Analytica", a company that has
run into trouble in the US and Europe over allegedly using data in breach of privacy rules.
Amrish Tyagi's statement comes a day after his
father also denied allegations that JD(U) used the services of data consultancy firm SCL Group, whose offshoot is the UK-based Cambridge Analytica.
"...Any work of any nature, if any, undertaken by CA cannot be read against OBI. We would like to make it clear that OBI was never associated with CA," Amrish Tyagi said in a statement. "At the time of its incorporation neither of its directors had undertaken any work of political nature," the statement said.
Whistle-blower Christopher Wylie has tweeted details that claim to expose the British consultancy's work in India dating back to 2003. Mr Wylie said SCL was asked to provide electoral research and strategy for the 2010 Bihar assembly election for the JD(U).
The whistle-blower, while testifying before the British parliament earlier in the week, said the Congress was also a client of the firm and that SCL and Cambridge Analytica work in India and have offices there. "This is what modern colonialism looks like," he said.
Tweeting several pictures along with the post, Mr Wylie said SCL has a database of over 600 districts and seven lakh villages, and the data is constantly being updated. He said the firm also worked on opinion polls for a national party in the 2003 Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections.
The Congress and the BJP have traded charges after it emerged that Cambridge Analytica could have used illegal data to influence elections in India.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has accused the Congress of using Cambridge Analytica in last year's Gujarat election. "This company is known for aggressive, fake, news, below standard campaign. Do I need to record before you the language of Rahul Gandhi, Gabbar Singh Tax and the whole social media campaign? Therefore the footprint of the DNA of this company was evident in Gujarat," Mr Prasad had told reporters.
The minister also alleged that the Congress planned to use Cambridge Analytica for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and boost its president Rahul Gandhi's profile.