Congress general secretary Sunil Kavthankar and GFP's Durgadas Kamat addressing a press conference in Panaji
Gomantak Times
The Congress and Goa Forward Party (GFP) have jointly lodged a complaint before the Chief Election Commissioner against All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and I-PAC for collecting voters data allegedly through dubious means.
Congress general secretary Sunil Kavthankar and GFP's Durgadas Kamat held a joint press conference in Panaji on Saturday and said they would not allow All India TMC and IPAC to sell voter data.
Sunil Kavthankar said that TMC and IPAC are collecting voter data by launching dubious schemes. "The manner in which they are misleading people and collecting their personal information requires an inquiry," he said.
He said the TMC was going from house to house giving cards to women and telling them that they would get paid when they came to power. "While carrying out this card issuance process, they collect all the personal data of the voters," he alleged.
"TMC claims that about 3 lakh women and more than 2 lakh youth have registered for these schemes. Their process is not just for the 2022 election campaign, they will use the data for other purposes, "said Kavthankar
He said it was against the law to misuse data without the consent of voters.
He claimed that TMC is giving personal data of people to the campaign management company, IPAC. "TMC is collecting personal data and giving it to IPAC without the consent of the voters," he said.
"The TMC is using Goa as a laboratory and helping the BJP to come to power. The TMC will not win a single seat, they are here to divide the votes and help the BJP, " he also said.
Durgadas Kamat said that he had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. "We will not allow TMC and I-PAC to sell voter data in Goa," Kamat said.
"In a recent interview with a Delhi-based TV channel, IPAC's Prashant Kishor said that they are following a model that is collecting data for Trinamool and IPAC. If the party wants to be judged at the national level, they have to do it. This means that data collected in the name of schemes from women and youth in Goa is used for purposes other purposes also," Kamat said.
Congress and Goa Forward have asked the Election Commission to take this issue seriously and immediately seize all the data collected by TMC and IPAC.