New Delhi: Launching a stinging attack against the government, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today said it invented a story on data theft involving the Congress and data mining firm Cambridge Analytica to divert attention from the death of 39 Indians in Iraq.

The Congress president also accused the government of baiting the media.

"Problem: 39 Indians dead; Government on the mat, caught lying. Solution: Invent story on Congress and Data Theft. Result: Media networks bite bait; 39 Indians vanish from radar. Problem solved," he said on Twitter.

The Congress has been accusing the government of managing headlines to deflect the country's focus from the multi-crore PNB bank scam, the dilution of provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Act and questions being raised by the families of those killed in Iraq.

Adding to the chorus of Congress criticism, the party's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the government had lied to the families of the 39 Indians about their loved ones being alive even after evidence suggested they were killed years ago.

He also asked why the Modi government 'misled' the country for four years on the killing of 39 Indians after their kidnapping in Mosul of Iraq.

"Families ask questions - Why did Modi Government and Sushmaji mislead them for 4 yrs? Why does the Government not reveal the date of death? What evidence did the EAM have of them being alive for all these years? Why is Government not agreeable to compensating the families? Another lie, Another spin exposed as truth unravels on Mosul Tragedy. All 39 Indians had died years ago as the evidence and witnesses suggested and corroborated now by Martyrs Foundation. Yet Modi Government lied, duped and deceived the families and the Nation!" Surjewala said.

Yesterday, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pointed fingers at Congress. According to some reports, Cambridge Analytica had offered its services to both parties before the 2014 general elections, but that fell through.

Categorically denying any link with the CA, Randeep Surjewala pointed out the shoe is on the other foot, as the CA website shows its services were used by BJP-JD(U) in Bihar polls in 2010.

Also, “the firm’s Indian partner Ovlene Business Intelligence (OBI) is being run by the son of a former Rajya Sabha MP of the JD (U),” referring to India head of OBI Amrish Tyagi, son of JD (U) leader KC Tyagi, whose “services were used by Rajnath Singh in 2009”, he added.

The BJP, he said, was trying to deflect public attention from the raging controversy over the deaths of 39 Indian hostages in Iraq and the massive publicity being received by party chief Rahul Gandhi’s Karnataka campaign.