Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 (NationPress) Senior Congress leader and CWC member Ramesh Chennithala asserted on Monday that the Kerala High Court's ruling on the Sprinklr data contract, delivered on January 28, has thoroughly validated the Opposition's persistent stance. He urged the Pinarayi Vijayan administration to take decisive actions against those accountable for engaging in an irregular and illegal agreement.

Speaking to reporters, Chennithala dismissed CPI-M state Secretary M.V. Govindan's demand for an apology, accusing him of misinterpreting the High Court's ruling and demonstrating a 'fundamental lack of understanding' regarding the case.

He emphasized that the court had merely concluded the petitions after affirming its interim ruling from April 24, 2020, as the contract had been annulled and the data destroyed.

Chennithala recounted that during the Covid-19 crisis, he, as the Opposition leader, had approached the High Court in the public's interest to contest the government's decision to transfer sensitive health information of quarantined individuals to a foreign entity, Sprinklr.

He pointed out that the court had endorsed his primary arguments and compelled the government to retract from the agreement.

Referring to specific findings from the ruling, Chennithala highlighted that the High Court flagged significant procedural violations, asserting that then Principal Secretary for IT, M. Sivasankar, had entered into the contract without obtaining Cabinet approval or the Chief Minister’s consent, constituting a 'gross dereliction of duty.'

The court also affirmed that the agreement was unlawful and unconstitutional, breaching Article 299 of the Constitution.

He underscored the court’s grave concerns regarding the jurisdiction clause, which conferred exclusive rights to courts in the United States, complicating citizens' ability to seek remedies in instances of data theft.

The court accepted the argument that the personal information gathered could have been exploited for commercial ends.

Chennithala noted that the findings of the Madhavan Nambiar Committee, mentioned in the judgment, corroborated violations of procedural rules, the Secretariat Manual, and the failure to consult with the Law and Finance Departments.

He insisted that the High Court explicitly instructed the government to implement appropriate measures against those responsible and to prevent such oversights in the future.

The Congress leader remarked that any attempts by CPI-M leaders to downplay the verdict would not lessen the gravity of the findings, emphasizing that accountability, not mere political rhetoric, is now essential from the government.