On Tuesday, Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi made allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, asserting an attempt to hack the mobile phones of senior opposition politicians following warning messages from Apple.

Several lawmakers took to social media, sharing screenshots of notifications from Apple stating: “Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID.”

At a news conference in New Delhi, Mr. Gandhi challenged the government, stating, “Hack us all you want. But we, the opposition, will not cease questioning you,” making reference to Modi. He added, “We are not intimidated. Carry out as much phone tapping as you wish, I am unbothered. If you want my phone, I’ll hand it over.”

Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed worry over the lawmakers’ statements, revealing that the government had urged Apple to collaborate in the investigation. However, the company clarified that it did not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker.

Jairam Ramesh, spokesperson for Gandhi’s Congress party, referred to Apple’s statement as a “long-winded non-denial” regarding a possible security breach due to state-sponsored attacks.

The government has refrained from responding to queries regarding the purchase of Pegasus spyware for surveillance, while federal ministers reportedly dismissed the allegations as ‘destructive politics.’

This comes in the wake of 2021 reports suggesting the Indian government’s purported use of Israeli-made Pegasus spyware for surveillance on journalists, activists, and politicians, including Rahul Gandhi.