Tejashwi attacks Nitish on Cambridge Analytica issue

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav today said JD(U) president Nitish Kumar had a lot to answer as his party leader K C Tyagi's son was reportedly associated with controversial data mining firm Cambridge Analytica.

The BJP, the JD(U)'s ally in Bihar, and the Congress have been trading charges over hiring the services Cambridge Analytica.

Last week, Facebook had admitted that the British firm used data collected from 50 million users without their consent, an act of breach of privacy.

"Bihar CM Nitish's close confidant and one instrumental in JD(U)'s reunion with BJP K C Tyagi's son Amresh Tyagi worked for #CambridgeAnalytica and helped it work for BJP as report confirms! Nitish and PM Modi have a lot to answer," Yadav, a former deputy chief minister, said in a tweet.

"Nitish Kumar & PM Modi are only politicians in the country who take help of PR agencies like #CambridgeAnalytica to create hype around their non existent work! Both are answerable to the country for their Party's links with the agency!" he said in another tweet.

On Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's warning to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg yesterday, Yadav alleged that BJP leaders were preparing the ground for throttling social media.

"They are warning Facebook owner that even he can be summoned. The government should tell us if it has the power, why is it not acting against fugitives like Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya," he said.

Talking to a news channel, the RJD leader claimed that he had got a whiff of the activities of Tyagi's son during the 2015 Assembly polls, when "I had not even heard the name of the firm (Cambridge Analytica)".

"I was accompanied by K C Tyagi to a rally in Champaran and he told me that his son was in the PR business and was associated with election management of Donald Trump who was then preparing for the US Presidential polls," Yadav claimed.

The RJD heir apparently also said "Why is K C Tyagi not coming out with explanations himself and not allowing his son, who is an adult, to clear the air. And why is not the NDA government at the Centre not conducting a thorough probe which could settle the matter once and for all".