Rahul's handle compromised by email breach, difficult to locate IP: Twitter
New Delhi: Twitter said on Thursday that the official handle of Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was compromised on Wednesday through an email breach.
Congress' official social media handle was later compromised on Thursday with profanities directed at the Congress Vice-President, at the party as well as the general public.
According to a report in NDTV, the party said that in addition to Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter handle and email, Congress’ email server, Twitter account and website had also been hacked.
ANI reported Twitter as saying that if the hacker used proxies to hack into the Congress IT cell, tracing the IP address was 'next to impossible'.
The Congress on Thursday raised the issue of digital security after expletives laden tweets were posted on its Twitter handle in the morning around 10 am, a day after
Rahul’s account was hacked. The party said it reflects disturbing insecurities of the prevalent "fascist culture" in the country.
The events unfolded after Rahul Gandhi’s account, @OfficeofRG, tweeted, “To every one of you haters out there. I love all of you. You're beautiful. Your hatred just doesn't let you see it yet.”
To this, the official handle of Congress, @INCIndia, responded with a profanity.
Responding to the hacking of the accounts, Rahul on Thursday said, "It's a huge question mark on the digital security".
The Information Technology (IT) Ministry said it has ordered a probe into the hacking of Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account.
Delhi Police has initiated a probe into the hacking of the account and has written to the management of the social media site seeking necessary details.
"We have written to Twitter to provide us log details such as the IP address of the hackers. We have started investigating the matter," a senior police official said.
The @INCIndia handle was compromised after 10 am on Thursday, it seemed, posting abusive tweets and bizarre advice.
“Coming up is a full dump of inc.in Congress emails, stay tuned for Christmas special. We have enough info to drop your party down to shreds,” one tweet claimed.
However, it then continued with profanities directed at Congress party itself, at Rahul Gandhi and at the general public as well. It labelled Congress as 'corrupt', the common public as 'retards' and liberally used expletives while advising people on things they could consume alongside beer.
All the abusive tweets were later deleted around 10:45 am.
Gandhi’s official Twitter account was hacked on Wednesday night earlier and some expletives-laden tweets were posted.
Confirming the development, his office said efforts were being made to rectify the problem. After the hacking, Congress party raised questions on the digital safety of all Indians and said it reflects disturbing insecurities of the prevalent fascist culture in the country.
Gandhi’s account was hacked around 8.45 pm and some messages with profanities were put out, but these were deleted soon thereafter.
The name of the verified Twitter handle “@OfficeOfRG” was also changed. “Such lowly tactics will neither drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Rahul Gandhi from raising people’s issues,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
