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Social media giant Meta is staring at a parliamentary panel summons following CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial remarks about the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Zuckerberg, during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, claimed that the PM Modi-led dispensation lost the Lok Sabha polls due to its “weak Covid-19 response.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said Meta will have to apologise for spreading disinformation.
“My committee will call Meta for this disinformation. Misinformation in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organisation will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake,” Dubey said in a post on X
Zuckerberg had suggested that most incumbent governments worldwide, including India, were defeated in elections held post-Covid-19. His statement triggered a massive political row, with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw calling the remarks “factually incorrect” and fact-checking him.
“It is disappointing to see misinformation from Mr Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility,” Vaishnaw, who heads the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, wrote on Meta-owned Facebook.
In his rebuttal, the Union Minister pointed out that the National Democratic Alliance secured a decisive victory in 2024 polls, securing a third consecutive term in office.
India conducted its 2024 general election with over 640 million voters, Vaishnaw noted, adding that the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was a clear reflection of public confidence.
“Mr Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in the 2024 elections, lost post-Covid is factually incorrect,” Vaishnaw asserted.
He also underscored the Modi government’s achievements, including the distribution of free food to 800 million people, the administration of 2.2 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses, and aid provided to nations worldwide during the pandemic.
“From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during Covid, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive third-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust,” the Minister said.
Meta, which operates popular platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has yet to issue an official response to the controversy.
