‘Deeply disturbing’: Sam Pitroda clarifies IIT Roorkee video was ‘hacked’ after MoE counters his claims

NEW DELHI: A day after the ministry of education denied the claims made by the Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda, he said that the IIT Roorkee video link sent to him was ‘hacked’ just minutes after his speech ‘to stream explicit and inappropriate content’.

He had previously claimed that “someone” had played objectionable content during his virtual interaction with "IIT-Ranchi students". The education ministry, in the late evening on February 26, refuted the claims and clarified that there is no IIT in Ranchi.

"It is hereby clarified that there is no IIT in Ranchi. Therefore, the statement made in that video is not only baseless but also reeks of ignorance. It is pertinent to state that there is an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Ranchi. But IIIT, Ranchi, has also confirmed that Sam Pitroda has not been invited by the institute to any conference/seminar to deliver a lecture, physically or virtually," the ministry said in a statement.

'Deeply disturbing'

Following this, Sam Pitroda took to social media to issue clarification. In a post on X, he said: "I was invited to speak at IIT Roorkee @iitroorkee during the Cognizant event on February 1, 2025, via Zoom with students and faculty. Unfortunately, just minutes after my speech, a hacker infiltrated the video link and began streaming explicit, inappropriate content. We immediately shut down the video and ended the event," he said.

He further expressed concerns on cyber security and said “the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of digital safety and vigilance”. He also said that such occurrences, especially in academic spaces, is “deeply disturbing”.

Also read Co-author of TISS report on ‘illegal’ Bangladeshi, Rohingya migrants under scanner for harassment, abuse

What did MoE say?

According to the education ministry’s statement, on February 22, Sam Pitroda claimed that he was speaking at IIT-Ranchi to several hundred students and someone hacked and played objectionable videos, which led to the disruption of the event.

"Such a reckless statement seems to be an attempt to malign the image of an extremely reputed institution of the country. This institution has stood the test of time and produced some of the brightest minds in the country. Unlike such an uninformed person, the IITs' reputation is built on the merit, hard work and achievement of many students, teachers and academia," the ministry said.

Condemning the IIT claims, the ministry reiterated that such attempts to malign the image of premier institutions will face legal repercussions.