Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 With Kerala gearing up for the upcoming Assembly elections and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) eyeing a rare third consecutive term under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a controversy has emerged over an alleged bulk message campaign targeting state government employees.
R.S. Sasikumar, Chairman of the State United Confederation of Employees (SUCC), alleged that a message issued in the Chief Minister’s name was circulated widely to the personal WhatsApp accounts of government employees drawing salaries from the state government.
The message reportedly highlighted the sanctioning of Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) increases, the reinstatement of housing construction advances, and assured employees that the government would continue to safeguard their welfare and rights.
Sasikumar described the development as a serious breach of privacy. He alleged that phone numbers submitted by employees to official government databases, including the Service and Payroll Administrative Repository for Kerala (SPARK), which are meant strictly for official purposes, had been used without consent for bulk messaging and outreach activities.
“This raises grave concerns about the safety and protection of personal data held by the government,” he said.
He further argued that no authority, including the government, has the right to intrude into an individual’s privacy without consent.
According to Sasikumar, the alleged misuse of official data amounts to a violation of privacy safeguards guaranteed under applicable data protection laws.
He demanded legal action against officials in the Chief Minister’s Office if any unauthorised access or leakage of IT records had occurred and called for the immediate registration of a police case and a time-bound investigation into the matter.
The controversy has surfaced at a politically sensitive time, with the state preparing for Assembly elections.
The Congress-led Opposition has been criticising the government’s outreach initiatives, alleging that such efforts are aimed at influencing public opinion ahead of the polls.
The latest row is expected to further intensify political exchanges in the state as election preparations gather momentum.
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