Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Apple had sent warnings to people in his office, several party members, and other opposition leaders about state-sponsored attackers targeting their phones. He also claimed that as soon as the Adani issue is addressed, probe agencies and surveillance are deployed.
Gandhi accused the government of engaging in "distraction politics" regarding the Adani issue. He displayed a copy of the warning email from Apple, which was received by several opposition leaders, including K C Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate, and others.
"We are not scared. You can do as much (phone) tapping as you want, I don't care. If you want to take my phone, I will give it to you...," he said.
Gandhi alleged, "The hierarchy in the country is No. 1 – Adani, no. 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and no. 3 Amit Shah."
Narrating an old tale to assert his point, Gandhi said there used to be a king in India against whom people stood up and opposition was attacking him but he was like teflon and nothing used to affect him.
"After a few years, opposition people went to a rishi and said 'we keep attacking the king, people are against him but nothing happens. Rishi said the king's soul is not with him, there is a parrot in a small cottage and his soul is in that parrot," Gandhi said.
"Narendra Modi's soul is with Adani. Truth is power is in the hands of someone else. As soon as Adani is touched, intelligence agencies snooping are deployed," he said. "Adani cannot escape, we have surrounded him. Distraction politics is taking place," he added.
Who all received the Apple alerts?
Various opposition leaders claimed to have received messages from Apple warning them about "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones.
They shared these warnings on social media, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra, Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor, and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.
"Received text and email from Apple warning me that the government trying to hack into my phone and email. @HMOIndia -- get a life. Adani and PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you," Moitra said sharing the screenshots.
The message shared by the MPs stated, "ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone".
"Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID. These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do. If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone. While it's possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously," it stated.
How did BJP leaders react?
In response to the opposition leaders, BJP's Amit Malviya suggested waiting for Apple to clarify and questioned whether it was an opportunity for outrage.
