Hiranmoy Chattopadhyaya, 'Neither A Research Fellow, Nor A Staff, Nor A Scientist': IIT Kharagpur, RTI Reply
In a response to an RTI filed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 11, IIT Kharagpur said that Hiranmaoy Chattopadhyaya – the BJP”s Ghatal candidate – was “neither a research fellow, nor a scientist, nor staff”. However, he was engaged in a sponsored project, the institute has confirmed.
AAP issued a press release that claims about the discrepancy in Ghatal”s candidate affidavit. Hiranmoy said that he has been a post-PhD research fellow at IIT Kharagpur since May 2023. He also said to have a PhD in rural development from CMJ University in Meghalaya.
The Aam Aadmi Party has lodged a complaint to the Election Commission alleging Chattopadhyaya provided wrong information about his educational background in the affidavit and demanded the cancellation of his candidature over his false claim of being a research fellow at IIT Kharagpur. The party said, “We have approached the Election Commission to convey our concern and demand for the cancellation of his candidature for the upcoming general elections”.
In the AAP party”s RTI reply, the institute has said that Hiranmoy was neither a research associate, nor a staff and nor associated with the institute in any other category as per the institute”s rules and regulations.
In its response the BJP Ghatal candidate who will go for election on May 25, 2024 in the phase – 6 said that the post-PhD project, in every university across the world is a sponsored project which are generally supported by industires. He said to produce the engagement letter from IIT Kharagpur to show the details of the reseach project that he is doing under the Bhatnagar awardee professor Suman Chakraborty.
As per the Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay (Hiraan or Hiran Chatterjee) he was doing a sponsored research project supported by Vyom Lifecare Pvt Ltd. The project focuses on research and development of affordable MRI among the rural people in Bengal and India, he said.
The BJP candidate dismissed the allegation by saying it as a conspiracy of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Mention that the social media profile of the Hiran on X shows his bio as “MODI PARIVAR, Researcher-IIT Kharagpur, Film Actor, A Councillor, An MLA-Kharagpur Sadar-224AC, An Incharge-BJYM-West Bengal, A Mentor of Voice Of World ( NGO )”. On his LinkedIn profile also mentions Hiranmoy as “Reasearch Fellow – IIT Kharagpur”.
Notably, Trinamool Congress MP and actor Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev, is also going to contest from Ghatal on TMC ticket in the Phase 6, today.
