Digital
Desk: In a cyberattack this week that appeared to be linked to the
outcry over remarks by former BJP spokespersons about the Prophet, the live
broadcast of an online news channel in Assam was replaced with an image of a
Pakistani flag, a hymn for Prophet Muhammad, and tickers reading 'Respect Holy
Prophet.'
Time8's
transmission was interrupted during a breaking news piece on June 9 during a
live news webcast.
Time8
Digital News Network founder and managing editor Utpal Kanta said, "During
the live stream, Revolution PK, a self-described Pakistani hacker organisation,
briefly hijacked Time8's YouTube channel, replacing the news broadcast with the
Pakistani flag and running 'Respect Holy Prophet' tickers. This is an act of
cyberterrorism, and we strongly condemn the event while also expressing our
worry about the situation, which involves national security."
"Hackers
not only intended to illegally express their religious views on the channel,
but also to defame the channel and India," Mr Kanta said. "They
leaked the hacked part of videos on Twitter and Facebook, and Pakistani Twitter
users expressed their joy by tweeting in support of Revolution PK and lauding
them for hacking our channel TIME8."
According
to Time8, the network has notified authorities and filed a police case in
Guwahati. The complaint is being looked into right now.
Nupur Sharma, a former BJP
spokesperson, and another leader, Naveen Kumar Jindal, sparked a massive uproar
last month with their inflammatory remarks regarding the Prophet, which also
enraged other Muslim countries.
Mr Jindal was removed from the BJP
after making the statements, while Ms Sharma was suspended for six months. The
comments, which came from two spokespersons for India's ruling party, were
described by the Indian government as the views of "fringe elements."
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