IIT Ranchi doesn't exist: Centre fact-checks Sam Pitroda's hacking claims
Condemning his statement, the government also warned of legal repercussions for any attempts to malign the IITs.
Sam Pitroda had alleged that an event he was addressing at IIT Ranchi was disrupted when someone hacked into the system and played obscene content.
The Government of India has fact-checked Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda after his claims about a hacking incident at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ranchi. The Ministry of Education dismissed Pitroda's statement as "baseless" and "ignorant", clarifying that no such IIT exists in Ranchi.
Pitroda, a close aide of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, had alleged that an event he was addressing at IIT Ranchi was disrupted when someone hacked into the system and played obscene content. Sharing a clip on his social media handle, Pitroda said,
"I was speaking at the Ranchi IIT to almost several hundred students, and someone hacked in and started showing all the pornography. We had to turn it off. Now, is that democracy? Is that fair?"
In response, the Ministry of Education refuted his claims, pointing out that Ranchi has an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) but no IIT.
"IIIT Ranchi has also confirmed that Shri Sam Pitroda was not invited by the institute to any conference or seminar to deliver a lecture, physically or virtually," the ministry stated.
Slamming Pitroda's remarks, the government accused him of trying to tarnish the reputation of one of India's most prestigious institutions.
"This institution has stood the test of time and produced some of the brightest minds in the country. Unlike such an uninformed person, IITs' reputation is built on the merit, hard work, and achievement of many students, teachers, and academia," the ministry said.
Condemning his statement, the government also warned of legal repercussions for any attempts to malign the IITs.
"Ministry of Education condemns the statement and reiterates that any such attempt to malign the image of the premier institution will face legal repercussions," the government said.
Pitroda had earlier sparked a row by claiming that the India-China border dispute had been "blown out of proportion" because the US "has the habit of defining an enemy".
His comments came in response to US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate in the issue during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington last week.
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