Let them file FIR: BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad after opposition MPs receive hacking alert

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, on October 31, said that the opposition leaders are free to file an FIR over the Apple hacking alerts as he claims that the allegations of a state-sponsored cyber attack is "baseless and false."

This comes after TMC MP Mahua Moitra accused the BJP of trying to hack her iPhone which reportedly received an alert of a ‘state-sponsored’ hacking attempt. 

Several other opposition MPs including Shashi Tharoor, Sitaram Yechury, Raghav Chadha and Akhilesh Yadav are said to have received a similar message. 

Prasad slammed the opposition leaders for levelling such allegations on the government without taking the matter up with Apple. Notably, the company clarified earlier today that the alerts may be a false alarm and said that it is yet to find the cause of the alerts. 

He said that it is for the company to explain the alerts and dared the opposition leaders to file an FIR. 

"It is for Apple to clarify. They should file an FIR if they have any problems. Who is stopping them?" Prasad said. 

BJP targets Rahul Gandhi for ‘frivolous allegation’

BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya targeted Rahul Gandhi who made allegations of spying on the government. At a press conference earlier today, he even offered to submit his phone to the BJP. 

“Apple issued a statement within minutes of Rahul Gandhi making a complete joke of himself. What is it that drives him to champion foreign agencies sponsored stories? Soros? Last time too he didn’t submit his phone for investigation. Why waste national time by making frivolous allegations?” Malviya questioned in a post on X. 

“Besides Apple’s statement, which is quite clear, I also spoke to a few technology experts, who opine that users susceptible to clicking on salacious links, are more likely to be at the receiving end of such phishing attacks. Beware of what you watch on your phone!” he further said. 

Amid the row, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Centre had ordered a probe into the matter. 

"In light of such information and widespread speculation, we have also asked Apple to join the investigation with real, accurate information on the alleged state-sponsored attacks," Vaishnaw said.