Clarify stand on cryptocurrency, PM's Twitter hack: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday demanded that the government clarify its stand on cryptocurrency and said the hacking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter handle in connection with the issue raised serious security concerns.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said if the prime minister's Twitter handle was not safe, how can the Twitter accounts of a common person be secure.

At a time when the government is considering a ban on cryptocurrency, the prime minister's Twitter handle is compromised and tweets are posted about government accepting cryptocurrency as legal tender and had purchased 500 Bitcoins for distribution among citizens. This is the biggest security issue before the nation, the Congress leader said.

He demanded that the government clarify in Parliament whether it is planning to recognise cryptocurrency.

Chowdhury also said that the government should make a statement in Parliament to explain how the prime minister's Twitter handle got compromised twice in the last two years.

If the prime minister's Twitter handle is compromised twice in two years, how can we be assured of the security of the nation? India's security is under threat. Government should make a statement in the House, he said.

Chowdhury's remarks came a day after the prime minister's Twitter handle was briefly compromised but restored quickly.