Data leakage by Kerala CM’s office a crime: V D Satheesan

Kottayam: Opposition leader V D Satheesan said it is illegal to leak anyone's personal information without permission and that there is a high court ruling regarding this."The data of govt employees and teachers was widely leaked by the chief minister's office. Data leakage is a crime. A case should be charged against those responsible in the CM's office, and an investigation should be held. Leaked data can be misused or sold. Is the CMO unaware that data is valuable property? The CPM leadership and the CM are involved in the data breach," Satheesan told reporters on the sidelines of the Puthu Yuga Yatra led by him, in Kanjirappally on Tuesday."There is also a verdict related to Sprinklr. Data security must be ensured. All official systems are being misused. Despite the treasury being empty, crores are being spent on election activities. Advertisements worth crores of rupees are being given. All this is being done by taking loans. A sum of Rs 250 crore is to be taken from the welfare fund for construction workers. The Rs 100 crore taken last year was not returned while Rs 10,000 crore is being taken from cooperative banks. We will confront the use of taxpayers' money for election campaigns both legally and politically," Satheesan said.The high court's verdict cancelling the Nava Kerala Survey is very precise, he said, adding that the Supreme Court's current stay would be vacated. "We presented the CPM circular in the high court in which it was said that CPM and DYFI members should be volunteers in the survey conducted using public money. CPM is conducting an election campaign using govt money. The CM's audio recording about ensuring continued governance was leaked. To ensure continued governance, CPM's funds should be used, not public exchequer money," he said. The opposition has cooperated with all development projects except K-Rail, he said. "When the CM was the party secretary, it was said that the Vizhinjam project involved a Rs 6,000-crore real estate deal. Now, the CM is taking credit. The party newspaper wrote it was a sea robbery. Now, it has become a sea revolution. The current claim is that they brought the GAIL project. The person who said that GAIL was a bomb buried underground is the current industries minister. CPM protested against the Metro Rail as well," he said. The vigilance court remarked that the tanthri was imprisoned in the Sabarimala gold heist without any evidence. The law minister has no authority to dismiss that court ruling. The law minister should not use powers he does not have. SIT should clarify what involvement the tanthri has, Satheesan said.Satheesan also said that UDF will make a spectacular comeback in central Kerala. UDF will win five seats each in Pathanamthitta and Idukki. UDF will win the majority of seats in Kottayam and all 14 seats in Ernakulam, he added.