Data Theft Row: TDP Lodges Police Complaint Against Telangana Govt

TDP has alleged that that TRS resorted to theft of TDP data to help YSRCP for the upcoming elections.

(Photo: Kamran AKhter/ The Quint)

The row between the Telugu states over data theft took a new turn on Wednesday, 6 March, with Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lodging a police complaint that its data was stolen by Telangana government.

TDP leaders on Wednesday night lodged a police complaint in Guntur against the Telangana government. The leaders including TDP's Andhra Pradesh unit president Kala Venkat Rao, cabinet minister P Pulla Rao submitted their complaint to Guntur Rural Superintendent of Police Rajasekhar Babu.

The TDP leaders alleged that data stored by their party for the last two decades was stolen by Telangana police at the behest of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the state, in a conspiracy with YSRCP. They sought action against those involved.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with Home Secretary A R Anuradha and Director General of Police R P Thakur. They are understood to have discussed the latest developments in the data theft case.

TDP Alleged TRS Stole Their Data To Help YSRCP Before the Elections

The entire row began after the police in Hyderabad registered a case against IT Grids, a firm providing IT services to the TDP, for alleged data theft.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that the company had access to personal and sensitive data of Andhra Pradesh people and it was using this for 'Sevamitra', an app developed by the firm for the TDP.

Police suspect that the data is being misused for voter profiling to delete names of “anti-TDP” voters.

While the TDP has alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) resorted to theft of TDP data to help YSRCP in view of the upcoming elections, TRS Working President K T Rama Rao claimed that Naidu and his son and IT Minister Nara Lokesh had become jittery as they were caught red-handed while stealing confidential data to further the poll prospects of the TDP.

Earlier this week, noting that the TDP had built the data over the last 24 years, Naidu said the party would not keep quiet if its data assets were stolen. He also warned the Telangana government that if it files one case, he will respond with four cases.

(The story was first published on The News Minute and has been republished in an arrangement.)