Bengaluru:
In the latest example of cyber attacks aimed at creating trouble in India amid the tensions with Pakistan, a post on X claimed that supporters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) vandalised the family home of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi in Karnataka’s Belagavi. Following a warning from police, the post was deleted.
The X profile that put up the post is named “Anis Uddin” and the location mentions British Columbia, Canada. The profile follows 405 handles and 31 followers and most posts support Pakistan. The cover image has photographs of Pakistan’s first Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Army chief General Asim Munir and other top Pakistani defence officers.
“Disturbing attack on Muslim Indian Army officer’s family. Colonel Sophia Qureshi – the newly appointed spokesperson of the Indian Army – has become the latest target of RSS-led hate. According to credible sources, her family home in Belagavi, Karnataka, was attacked,” the post said. It added a photo of a vandalised room with things thrown around.
As soon as police noticed the post, a team was rushed to Colonel Qureshi’s family home in Belagavi’s Gokak and everything was found to be normal. Dr Bheemashankar S Guled, Superintendent of Police for Belagavi, replied to the post, “This is a fake news. As SP of the Belagavi, I would like to warn the persons involved in creating this post, which is fake, to delete it immediately.” The post was deleted.
As a precaution, police have provided security to the senior Army officer’s home.
Colonel Qureshi was born in Vadodara in Gujarat. She is married to Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi, who is from Belagavi. Colonel Qureshi’s in-laws stay at the Belagavi home and she often visits them.
The face of the government’s press briefing in the tense days after India conducted airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is now a household name across the country. A decorated officer, she has emerged as an inspiration for women, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, also a part of the briefings.
BJP veteran BL Santhosh has said in a post on X, “In a matter of 7 days, she is an icon for (the) young generation. Not just by press briefing but by her life and legacy of her family. Daughter of Vadodara, daughter-in-law of Belagavi, Pride of Bharat.”
The fake news surrounding Colonel Qureshi comes amid a flood of cyber attacks launched by Pakistan-allied hackers. According to a PTI report, Maharashtra cyber crime police identified seven groups responsible for launching over 15 lakh cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure websites across India after the Pahalgam attack. Only 150 such attacks were successful, say officials. In a report named “Road of Sindoor”, the Maharashtra cyber agency has detailed the cyber warfare launched by Pakistan-allied groups. These groups used several methods, including malware campaigns, Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks, and GPS spoofing. Indian websites linked to defence were also defaced.
Pieces of information that were spread during this conflict include claims of cyber attacks on India’s power grid, statewide blackouts, satellite jamming and an alleged attack on a BrahMos missile storage facility, a senior official said.