It's for Apple to clarify; allegation baseless: BJP on alert to Oppn leaders

The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP on Tuesday said it is for Apple to clarify the alerts it has sent to several people including opposition leaders about statesponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise their iPhones and rejected the allegations against the government as baseless and false reported news agency PTIParty leader and former Union IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that instead of levelling allegations against the government these leaders should take up the matter with Apple and file FIRs reported PTIHe however cited his experience to claim that no telephone company does something like this and goes to CERTIn an emergency response team first to look into the matter reported PTIAsked about the opposition leaders charge Prasad shot back It is for Apple to clarify They should file an FIR if they have any problem Who is stopping themHe recalled the controversy over the alleged use of Pegasus malware to hack into the phones of certain people including opposition leaders and said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had refused to deposit his iPhone before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the matter reported PTISeveral opposition leaders on Tuesday claimed they had received an alert from Apple warning them of statesponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise their iPhones and posted purported screenshots of the message on their X handlesShiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi Trinamool Congress Mahua Moitra Aam Aadmi Partys Raghav Chadha Congress Shashi Tharoor and his partys media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared the message from Apple on XEarlier today Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that people in his office several party and other opposition leaders have been sent a warning by Apple of statesponsored attackers targeting their phone and alleged that as soon as the Adani issue is touched probe agencies and snooping are deployed reported PTIHe also alleged that the government was indulging in distraction politics on the Adani issue reported PTIDuring a press conference Rahul Gandhi showed a copy of the warning email received by several opposition leaders from Apple phone manufacturer about statesponsored attackers trying to compromise their phone reported PTIHe said party leaders such as K C Venugopal Pawan Khera Supriya Shrinate and several other opposition leaders have got the Apple warning reported PTIWe are not scared You can do as much phone tapping as you want I dont care If you want to take my phone I will give it to you he saidThe hierarchy in the country is No 1 Adani no 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and no 3 Amit Shah he allegedNarrating an old tale to assert his point Rahul 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 reported PTIAfter 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 kings soul is not with him there is a parrot in a small cottage and his soul is in that parrot Rahul Gandhi saidNarendra Modis 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 saidAdani cannot escape we have surrounded him Distraction politics is taking place he saidWith inputs from PTI