A few days ago, the Daily Maverick, a South African news outlet, published a contentious statement concerning Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Presently, the publication alleges that it has fallen victim to a sophisticated cyber assault, purportedly originating from Indian Intelligence.
Despite the allegations, official responses from the South African government and its leadership have remained notably absent. The issue has snowballed across digital and social media platforms, magnifying its impact.
Upon closer examination of the incident, the website’s initial assertion revolved around an incident during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to South Africa. The website claimed that BJP leading Modi expressed dissatisfaction with being received by a mere minister upon arrival and subsequently declined to disembark from the plane. Supposedly, he anticipated a representative from the presidential circle to welcome him, especially given his participation in the BRICS Summit on Tuesday.
In direct contradiction, a statement issued by the South African government contended that Vice President Paul Mashatile was indeed present at the Waterkloof Air Base in Pretoria, Johannesburg, poised to welcome the Indian Prime Minister. The statement clarified that a meeting between the two was scheduled to transpire within the confines of the BRICS Summit venue.
However, the Indian leader, anticipating a reception at the airport, opted not to deplane upon realizing Vice President Mashatile’s absence. It’s essential to underscore that these narratives have yet to be substantiated by official spokespersons of either nation. At present, they remain speculative assertions circulating in the media.
Complicating matters further, reports have emerged detailing an alleged Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack against the servers of the Daily Maverick. These attacks are purportedly linked to hackers affiliated with the Indian government. It’s important to note that similar accusations were directed at the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. Curiously, no reports have surfaced concerning retaliatory cyber operations following the publication’s assertions in the South African news outlet.
As of Wednesday evening, the Daily Maverick’s website is inaccessible. A notice from Cloudflare, indicating network protection measures, currently occupies the site’s landing page. Restoration of the website is anticipated by Thursday afternoon.
