Cong data analytics chief slams reports as 'defamatory'

Congress' data analytics chief Praveen Chakravarty on Monday dismissed as "mischievous" and "defamatory" media reports on the department's role in the Lok Sabha polls.

Chakravarty's remarks came after a media report claimed that he went incommunicado after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results.

The report that talked about Chakravarty and his department's role in the lead up to the election results also claimed that Rahul Gandhi's own team fed his prime minister hopes right up to poll defeat.

"A recent gossip column about the activities of data analytics department of the Congress party during the recently-concluded Lok Sabha election has been brought to my attention," Chakravarty said in a statement.

"Every line in that column is a lie. Equally, other similar stories based entirely on unnamed sources, masquerading as investigative pieces, are plain rubbish. These are obviously mischievous, defamatory, patently absurd and sadly an utter disgrace to Indian journalism," he said.

Chakravarty asserted that he and his department continue to function actively from their offices at the All India Congress Committee headquarters.