Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account was hacked on Sunday. Hackers livestreamed images featuring flags of Pakistan and Turkey on a day when India was set to face Pakistan in their second Asia Cup match.
Details of the Hack
- Hackers posted images and livestreamed visuals showing the flags of Pakistan and Turkey on Eknath Shinde’s ‘X’ handle.
- The hack coincided with the high-profile Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan, increasing the sensitivity of the incident.
- The Maharashtra cybercrime police were alerted immediately.
- The account was recovered within 30 to 45 minutes by the team managing the Deputy CM’s social media.
Previous Similar Incidents
- In July 2025, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s (JMM) official ‘X’ account was hacked. Hackers posted a cryptocurrency payment address and an image of a chipmunk.
- Last year, the Congress Assam unit’s ‘X’ account was hacked, with the profile name changed to “Tesla Event” and the profile picture to Tesla’s logo. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee filed a police complaint, and the account was restored.
Asia Cup Context: India vs Pakistan Clash
- The hack occurred on the day of India and Pakistan’s high-voltage Asia Cup Super 4s match.
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Elite Panel Match Referee Andy Pycroft to officiate the game despite repeated requests from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to remove him.
- The Indian team, as a policy decision, previously refused to shake hands with Pakistan during their earlier Asia Cup encounter.
