Congress likens Ravi Shankar Prasad to Joseph Goebbels

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday stepped up its attack on Rahul Gandhi over his party’s alleged links with Cambridge Analytica, saying its “footprints” were visible in the opposition party’s campaign in Gujarat and suggested that it had a role in the Congress chief’s use of the term “Gabbar Singh Tax”. The data analytics firm is known for its “aggressive and fake news” campaign, Union IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters. 

Reiterating his party’s allegations against the Congress and its President Rahul Gandhi that they had used the services of Cambridge Analytica, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said it took almost five months for the opposition party to deny the media reports after raised by the BJP. He also said the firm had a role in the Congress chief’s use of the term “Gabbar Singh Tax”.

Prasad also said that the patterns in the Congress’ campaign in Gujarat suggests that the party had “used and abused” the services of Cambridge Analytica. The Congress hit back saying the BJP government has become a “manufacturer of fake news” and compared Mr Prasad with German dictator Hitler’s associate Joseph Goebbels. On questions about reports that an Indian company, which was Cambridge Analytica’s partner, might have worked for the BJP, the IT minister insisted that his party never had any ties with the foreign company or with its Indian partner.  Prasad, however, sought to make a distinction between Cambridge Analytica and its partner, saying the former has been accused of data theft.