UP magistrate claims account was hacked after backlash over 'Pappu' comment on X
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A comment on the official X handle of the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate using 'Pappu,' in an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in response to a critic of PM Modi from Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, was forced to be clarified as 'hacked the X account' after backlash.
The comment posted on September 13 from the official X handle of the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate, which translates to 'Hey, why don’t you worry about yourself and your pappu,' was interpreted as a veiled jab at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, The Wire reported.
The comment, though not explicitly naming Gandhi, is widely understood to be aimed at him due to its use of terms that have been employed by the BJP to undermine Rahul Gandhi politically. Shrinate’s post had criticised Modi for attempting to revise history, accompanied by a video interview with writer Ashok Pandey.
Following the controversial comment, social media users condemned the District Magistrate’s response, prompting Shrinate to publicly call out the DM. She expressed concern over the perceived political bias among administrative personnel, while Pawan Khera of the Congress media department questioned whether IAS officers were now expected to make political statements under BJP rule.
In response to the backlash, the Gautam Buddha Nagar DM’s official handle issued a clarification, attributing the comment to a hack. The administration lodged an FIR at Noida Sector 20 police station, accusing an unknown individual of hacking the account and posting the inappropriate remark. The FIR was filed by Sunil Kumar Kanaujia, assistant director of information for Gautam Buddha Nagar, who described the comment as "highly objectionable."
The timing of the controversial post coincided precisely with a legitimate update from the DM’s account, showcasing administrative activities such as a spot inspection of water-logging issues.
This has raised questions about the security and management of the DM’s social media presence. The Gautam Buddha Nagar administration has announced that the incident is under investigation by the police cyber cell.