Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and BJP State president K. Surendran on Tuesday filed two separate public interest petitions in the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to the State government to stop uploading the data of COVID-19 patients and those under surveillance on the server of Sprinklr or any server to which the U.S.-based company has access to.
In his petition, the Opposition leader sought a declaration that SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and those under observation whose data had been uploaded on the U.S.-based company’s server were entitled to get reasonable compensation for the loss and impairment suffered by them. The deal with the company was in violation of their fundamental right of privacy guaranteed by the Constitution, thus causing substantial loss and injury to them.
He contended that the sensitive data of the quarantined and isolated persons were illegally collected through ward-level field workers without authority of law and their informed consent. Therefore, they were entitled to get compensation.
Contending that sharing of health data with a U.S.-based company was violation of the fundamental right and security of the COVID-19 patients and suspects, the BJP State president sought a Vigilance inquiry into the execution of the master service agreement on the sharing of database by the State government with the company.
Both the leaders sought to quash the data sharing agreement signed with the company.
Meanwhile, United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Benny Behanan demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Sprinklr deal. Addressing mediapersons at the Thrissur Press Club on Wednesday, Mr. Behanan said the investigation by a two-member committee, ordered by the government, into the deal was just an eyewash. The government had not discussed with the Opposition the appointment of the committee.
