On Saturday (23rd March), ‘journalist’ turned Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose courted controversy after she insinuated that the Modi government was somehow hacking her mobile phone.
Ghose had received an email from Airtel on Tuesday (19th March), stating that her system (mobile phone in this case) had been infected with malware.
“Dear customer, we have been informed by CERT-IN that your device is infected by bot/malware”, the email read. The internet service provider recommended the TMC MP to install an anti-virus and anti-spyware software on her phone.
Received this email a couple of days ago. Does anyone here know what cyberswachhta is? And how does it know my system has malware? pic.twitter.com/JUwtfvFHSi
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) March 22, 2024
On Friday (22nd March), Sagarika Ghose had asked, “Received this email a couple of days ago. Does anyone here know what cyberswachhta is? And how does it know my system has malware?”
A day later on Saturday (23rd March), she alleged that her phone was being hacked for virtue of being an Opposition MP.
“Update: Spoke again to Airtel: NOT as harmless as they thought. They suspect an attempt to breach my phone. Dear Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, Ministry of Electronics & IT: Why is the phone of an Opposition MP being hacked,” the TMC MP brazened out.
Update: spoke again to @airtelindia : NOT as harmless as they thought. They suspect an attempt to breach my phone. Dear @IndianCERT @GoI_MeitY : WHY IS THE PHONE OF AN OPPOSITION MP BEING HACKED? WHY HAVE I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL from @airtelindia ? pic.twitter.com/idrHF6E4BT
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) March 23, 2024
“Why have I received this email from Airtel India?” she further claimed. Sagarika Ghose, who is not new to peddling fake news, suggested that her device was being compromised for virtue of being a Parliamentarian from an Opposition Party.
After she posted her contentious tweet, several social media users pointed out that Internet service providers send such messages when a user downloads unauthorised apps.
“It’s a malware/virus attack maybe which happens when one installs unauthorised apps,” tweeted one netizen.
Influence of MADRASA CHAP ‘s from W Bengal has an effect on the ability to read / comprehend and analyse .
— #INDIC DR Shetty ?? (@IndicDoc) March 23, 2024
It’s a malware / virus attack maybe which happens when one installs unauthorised apps .
Another user asked Sagarika Ghose to not install unknown apps.
Unknown apps mat install kiya karo na aunty (Opposition MP) ?
— Sameer (@SAMEERJH4) March 23, 2024
One user told the TMC MP, “It’s a malware. Could have been because of some poor choice of web pages you have viewed…”
