Sundar Pichai Advises Indian Government Not To Ban Beef: Fact Check

Story:

Sundar Pichai Advises Government Not To Ban Beef

Other Versions

The
Verve
World’s No 1 Bulletin
I am not interested in politics but I’m worried about India’s Unemployment and millions of youngsters losing their jobs. India must concentrate on people’s welfare not on their food habits. Eating beef or any food is purely personal freedom. No one has right to ban it. We dont live in Dark Ages where King decides on People’s Freedom. Great Country like India must move towards Science and Technology but not Religion. Moving towards Religions will surely hit Country’s stability and business as we see many big Industries already moving away from India due to religious tensions. Future of any country is in the hands of young rational minds.

– Sundar Pitchai, CEO, Google
WORLD NEWS
—–TODAY’S EVENTS—–

Fact Check:

A story shared widely online in couple of versions claims the CEO of Google, Sundar Pitchai has advised the Indian Government not to Ban Beef, suggesting that Eating Beef or any other food is a personal freedom and the Ban is a move towards Religion that will hit the country’s stability and business. No, Sundar Pitchai did not give any such statements and did not advise Indian Government not to Ban Beef, the claims are just hoaxes.

Origin of Claim

In late May 2017, the controversial statement/quote against Beef Ban in India attributing to the Google CEO Sundar Pitchai surfaced on Social sites like WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook (see second picture). On 29 May 2017, Tamil YouTube channel Nettv4u Reviewboard&News uploaded a Video suggesting the Google CEO has released the press statement after Indian Government bans sale of cattle for slaughter at livestock markets. That is how the story went viral online.

Actual Facts

The Verve (World’s No 1 Bulletin) shown in the quoted picture is in fact a women’s magazine and not a Bulletin as such. The Nettv4u Reviewboard&News is actually an entertainment based YouTube channel, which uploaded the video in question in same category.

Earlier in January 2017, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and other Tech CEOs have spoken against U.S. President Donald Trump’s Immigration Ban against people from seven Muslim-majority countries. But there are no credible reports that the Google CEO Sundar Pichai has issued any such statement/comment/quote/press release against the Beef Ban in India. The story and the image are actually circulated by fake social media accounts that were created under the name of Sundar Pitchai.

Another Sundar Pichai Fake Quote

Earlier, another picture story in circulation online quoted Sundar Pitchai to have said that Exams like NEET are clear threat to common people that destroy the true talent of students (see the story below, third image). The claim was presented as a press release:

COPENHAGEN
—————-
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Being born in poor family, I share the pain of Medical Students. Exams like NEET is a clear threat to common people and destroys the true talents. If I had to face Exams like NEET, I would have never become a CEO. I have no doubt that exams like NEET can be forged in Digital World as it is already happening. It’s a shame that Government strips the students to humiliate them. Students are not Terrorists and Government must understand that. Let’s pray for Students to get Justice. – Sundar Pitchai, CEO, Google
—————————-
THE BUSINESS OUTSIDER

As suggested in the story, Sundar Pitchai is not from a poor family, and there are no credible reports that the Google CEO has said anything like that. Again, the story and image were circulated by fake social media accounts created under the name Sundar Pitchai.

So the picture stories claiming Google CEO Sundar Pichai has advised the Indian Government not to Ban Beef are just hoaxes that originated from fake social media accounts. Also the stories quoting Sundar Pitchai to have released a press statement against exams in India like NEET are again hoaxes.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.