HYDERABAD: TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday alleged that AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the TDP were involved in “cash for tweet” scam. Presenting screenshots of the tweets, Rama Rao alleged that Naidu’s TDP is paying money to people to tweet against Telangana government after the breach of data of AP people case surfaced in Hyderabad.
Naidu and AP IT Minister Lokesh committed a crime by illegally providing citizens’ data to a private firm. The information including Aadhar details of the AP citizens were provided to a private firm named IT Grids India Private Limited, which gives tech support to TDP.
“Chandrababu and Lokesh used the information to influence the AP voters. Once their data theft came to light after a whistleblower lodged a complaint against the firm concerned, Chandrababu and Lokesh to protect themselves started blaming the Telangana government,” he alleged.
In an attempt to shift the blame on to the Telangana government, the TDP had tried to trend the hashtag #TSGovtStealsData. When it was examined, it is learnt that the hashtag was being used by random people, who were not from AP, nor had they any connection with the State, he said.
“A large number of the handles belonged to people from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and various other states. It is surprising to see non-Telugu people tweeting in the Telugu language on their handles,” Rama Rao said.
After reading a few more tweets with the same hashtag, it was understood that a private firm was hired to post tweets with the hashtag
#TSGovtStealsData. The firm used its multiple fake accounts to tweet using the said hashtag. Surprisingly, all the accounts had posted the same message in their tweets, he said.
“These handles are owned by people who tweet for money. Chandrababu and Lokesh, in order to cover up their mistake, committed another mistake of paying money for tweets to show the TS government in poor light. They are now being criticised for ‘cash for tweet’ scam. They have become a laughing stock for trying to trend hashtag against Telangana government, by sponsoring the campaign,” he said.