Congress targets BJP, demands expulsion of Basangouda Yatnal for calling Sonia Gandhi 'vishkanya'
New Delhi, Apr 28: The Congress on Friday hit out at the BJP over its leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal calling Sonia Gandhi a "vishkanya", demanded his expulsion from the party and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved of such name-calling.
The party also asked Prime minister Modi to apologise to Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental balance as well as political propriety, asserting that Yatnal's remarks are the "worst kind" of abuse against Gandhi at the "instance of Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai".
"Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even a remote iota of decency and decorum," he said in a statement.
"Instructed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supported by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader and Modi Ji's personal favourite Basangouda Patil Yatnal has stooped to the lowest by calling UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi 'vishakanya' and 'agent of China and Pakistan'," Surjewala said.
BJP MLA Yatnal likened Gandhi to a "vishakanya" (venomous) in retaliation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's "venomous snake" barb hurled at Prime Minister Modi, with the comments drawing sharp response from the opposition party which sought the legislator's expulsion.
"The entire world appreciates Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US had not given him visa once upon a time, but today he has emerged as a world leader who receives a red carpet welcome and rubs shoulders with world leaders," Yatnal said at a public meeting on Thursday.
"He (Modi) is compared with a cobra and is called venomous. Is Sonia Gandhi, whom you go dancing about in your party, a vishakanya? Sonia Gandhi who ruined the country and works as an agent of China and Pakistan," Yatnal, who is seeking re-election in the May 10 Karnataka elections from Vijayapura, charged.
The "vishkanya" remark against Gandhi by Yatnal came a day after Kharge compared Modi with a poisonous snake.
Campaigning in Karnataka for the assembly polls is in full swing and the Congress seeks to wrest power from the BJP in the state. Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP is in power.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal tweeted, "Every election, they hurl new abuses to insult Sonia Gandhi ji, who has led her entire life with utmost dignity and grace. BJP continues to stoop to new lows, with their filthy language against our leaders. Modi ji, do you endorse these words?"
"Yadha raja thada Praja (as is the king so are the subjects)," he said.
AICC general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Desperation and despair has made the BJP stoop to name-calling. Their star campaigner Mr Basangouda Patil Yatnal has called former Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi vishakanya' and agent of China and Pakistan'."
"Does the PM approve? He should immediately expel Mr Yatnal and apologise to Mrs. Gandhi," Ramesh said on Twitter.
Surjewala said, "The BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made a profession of abusing the Nehru Gandhi Family. PM Modi himself has, in the past, called Sonia Gandhi as 'Congress Ki Vidhwa' and even used filthy language like calling her 'jersey cow'."
Such language hurled at Sonia Gandhi reflects the "absolutely debased and undignified character" of the BJP and its leadership, the AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka said.
The Congress leader claimed that the sad part is that all of this has the "tacit approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and Basavaraj Bommai".
ALSO READ: Bar Mallikarjun Kharge from campaign, register FIR: BJP to EC on 'poisonous snake' barb
"If Prime Minister has even an iota of decency or dignity, he should immediately expel Basangouda Patil Yatnal from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Otherwise, it will be proved that the debased, ugly and deranged remarks being made by Yatnal against Sonia Gandhi are at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai," he said.
"We also demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should tender an unconditional public apology to Sonia Gandhi as also to the Congress leadership," the Congress leader said.
ಹತಾಶೆಯಾದ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಅವಹೇಳನೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಸ್ಟಾರ್ ಪ್ರಚಾರಕರಾದ ಬಸನಗೌಡ ಪಾಟೀಲ್ ಯತ್ನಾಳವರು ಮಾಜಿ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷೆ ಸೋನಿಯಾ ಗಾಂಧಿಯವರನ್ನು 'ವಿಶ ಕನ್ಯ' ಮತ್ತು 'ಚೀನಾ-ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಏಜೆಂಟ್' ಎಂದು ಕರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 28, 2023
ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಮೋದಿ ಈ ಹೇಳಿಕಗೆ ಒಪ್ಪುತ್ತಾರಾ? ಅವರು ತಕ್ಷಣ ಯತ್ನಾಳವರನ್ನು ಹೊರಹಾಕಿ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ಗಾಂಧಿಯವರ ಕ್ಷಮೆ ಕೇಳಬೇಕು
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TraceX Guard Strengthens National Safety Against Mobile Cyber Threats
India is witnessing a sharp rise in trojanised Android APK scams, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit fake government, banking, LPG, challan, and welfare scheme apps to seize full remote control of victims’ smartphones.
Cybersecurity investigators warn that attackers are now widely deploying Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware, often powered by leaked builder kits such as CraxsRAT and heavily modified custom payload frameworks. Once installed, these malicious APKs can convert an ordinary Android phone into a fully controlled fraud device, enabling silent surveillance, banking theft, and mass scam propagation.
These malware campaigns are primarily being distributed through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS phishing links, and fake APK download websites, where users are tricked into installing apps disguised as:
- e-Challan apps
- SBI KYC verification tools
- PM Yojana portals
- mParivahan clones
- LPG booking apps
- fake adult video call apps
As the scale of the threat intensifies, cybersecurity startup TraceX Labs has introduced TraceX Guard, positioning it as a frontline mobile defence platform against APK fraud, RAT infections, QR scams, and malicious permission abuse.
Fear-Based Social Engineering Behind the Surge
According to investigators, these frauds typically begin with panic-driven social engineering messages sent over WhatsApp or Telegram.
Common bait messages include:
- Your traffic challan has been issued
- Your SBI KYC is pending
- PM Yojana verification required
- Your LPG cylinder booking failed
- Your bank account will be blocked
These alerts often include fake challan numbers, vehicle details, Aadhaar-linked references, or forged bank notices, creating a sense of urgency that pushes victims to install the malicious APK without verification.
One of the most dangerous variants currently in circulation is a fake mParivahan-style application, which closely mimics India’s legitimate transport services interface while secretly embedding a hidden RAT payload.
How the Malware Takes Over Smartphones
Once installed, the malicious APK immediately requests dangerous permissions, including:
- Accessibility access
- SMS permissions
- Call logs
- Notifications
- File storage
- Battery optimization exemptions
Security researchers say Accessibility Service abuse remains the most critical attack vector, allowing the malware to silently:
- read screen contents
- detect banking and UPI apps
- auto-click Allow / Confirm / Pay buttons
- capture OTPs
- launch hidden overlays
- navigate banking sessions
- trigger silent fund transfers
Because these actions occur directly on the victim’s trusted device, attackers are often able to bypass traditional fraud detection systems.
Within minutes, victims may lose control over:
- bank balances
- UPI wallets
- Aadhaar and PAN scans
- contact lists
- personal photos and media
- incoming calls
- SMS OTPs
In many cases, the malware also self-propagates by forwarding malicious APK links through the victim’s own WhatsApp groups and Telegram chats, triggering a chain infection effect across trusted social circles.Fake RTO Challan APKs Become the Most Dangerous Variant
Among the most active campaigns, fake RTO challan APK scams have emerged as one of the most financially destructive.
Victims are first lured into paying a ₹1 “verification fee”, after which the malicious app requests highly sensitive information such as:
- card number
- expiry date
- CVV
- UPI PIN
- net banking credentials
- even ATM PINs
Cybersecurity experts stress that no legitimate government payment system ever asks for an ATM PIN inside an app, making this an immediate red flag.
Once payment details are entered, the embedded RAT intercepts OTPs and silently completes unauthorized transactions.
India’s Mobile Fraud Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Investigators estimate that more than 70% of reported cyber fraud cases in India now originate from mobile devices, with millions of complaints linked to:
- malicious APKs
- phishing URLs
- QR scams
- RAT droppers
- banking session hijacks
- WhatsApp fraud chains
The impact is particularly severe across Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, where smartphone adoption has expanded faster than awareness around:
- APK sideloading risks
- dangerous permissions
- fake banking overlays
- accessibility abuse
- WhatsApp APK scams
This has effectively turned Android smartphones into the primary battlefield of India’s financial cybercrime ecosystem.
TraceX Guard Introduced as a Real-Time Defence Layer
In response to this rapidly evolving threat landscape, TraceX Labs has launched TraceX Guard, an AI-powered multilingual Android security suite built specifically for India’s APK fraud ecosystem.
The platform offers:
- real-time APK scanning
- malicious permission detection
- hidden app discovery
- RAT behaviour monitoring
- QR & phishing URL safety grading
- OTP and SIM fraud alerts
- Wi-Fi hotspot verification
- ransomware defence
- India-specific scam intelligence feeds
- support for 10+ regional languages
Its offline-first AI architecture allows users to scan threats without uploading personal data, making it especially useful for privacy-conscious users and low-connectivity regions.
TraceX Labs says the system is specifically trained to detect patterns used in:
- fake challan scams
- counterfeit SBI APKs
- PM Yojana malware
- wedding invitation APK attacks
- honey-trap adult apps
- Telegram-based RAT droppers
From Phishing to Malware-Driven Financial Warfare
Cybersecurity analysts say this marks a major shift in India’s digital threat landscape.
What once began as simple phishing links has now evolved into malware-driven financial warfare at scale, where a single infected smartphone can silently compromise:
- families
- WhatsApp groups
- banking accounts
- local communities
- social trust networks
With losses from mobile-first fraud already running into tens of thousands of crores, experts believe the future of cyber defence will increasingly depend on preventive mobile security tools capable of stopping unsafe APKs before installation.
In that battle, TraceX Guard is emerging as one of the most important first lines of defence for India’s digital users.
Download Now : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tracexlabs.guard
