Rahul Gandhi. Credit: PTI/Files
New Delhi: The official Twitter accounts of the Indian National Congress and party vice president Rahul Gandhi were hacked today, and messages laden with expletives and profanities posted on the pages, the party said. Gandhi’s Twitter account was hacked last night too and obscene remarks were put out online for around an hour.
The Congress has, meanwhile, filed a complaint with the cyber cell of the Delhi police on the hacking of his account. The complaint was filed by the party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, demanding strict action against those behind the hacking.
Filed a complaint on behalf of @INCIndia to Delhi police. Onus on Modi Govt to ensure Digital Security and punish the guilty. pic.twitter.com/SbGHLzZqv9
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 1, 2016
The Delhi police has filed an FIR on the basis of the complaint. “A case has been registered by the cyber cell of economic offences wing under section 66 of the IT Act. Twitter has been asked to provide details of log of the account for investigation purpose,” said Deependra Pathak, Delhi police spokesman and joint commissioner (SW range).
The police said they were trying to locate the suspect by tracking the IP address used to break into the official account of the Congress leader.
The telecommunications ministry has also said that they will contact Twitter about the hack, reports said.
After the hacking, the Congress raised questions on the digital safety of all Indians and said it reflects disturbing insecurities of the prevalent “fascist culture” in the country.
“Such lowly tactics will neither drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Rahul Gandhi from raising people’s issues,” Surjewala had said.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel also tweeted, “The way @OfficeOfRG a/c got hacked, as cybercrime and Twitter watched helpless raises serious Q’s on digital safety, Digital India future.”
“Those forcing country to adopt online payment overnight, have they taken steps to ensure a/c of ordinary ppl will be immune from hacking?,” he also said.
(With PTI inputs)