Calling the removal of the Prime Minister’s video a serious matter, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey alleged that the incident reflected an attempt to destabilise the country.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has sought a public apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook, warning that the company could face the loss of its safe harbour protection if it fails to respond.
Addressing reporters after chairing the committee meeting, panel chairman and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said the committee had conveyed two clear demands to Meta.
“Our committee has said two things and has clearly stated that the apology should come from Zuckerberg. If Zuckerberg does not give it, then the safe harbour protection under Section 79 should be withdrawn from him,” Dubey said.
Calling the removal of the Prime Minister’s video a serious matter, he alleged that the incident reflected an attempt to destabilise the country.
“When a video of the Prime Minister of India can be removed, and they themselves admitted that the content was missing for five hours, from 12:30 am to 5:00 am, this is a very serious matter,” he said.
Referring to an earlier controversy, Dubey added, “If you recall, Zuckerberg himself made a statement in January regarding the 2024 elections and later apologised. This shows that his intention is to destabilise the country.”
The BJP MP also accused Meta, YouTube and X of failing to adequately address issues related to their algorithms and content moderation. He claimed the platforms had not acted effectively against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and content affecting women despite India’s strict legal framework.
Dubey further said the committee had recommended reviewing safe harbour protection in such cases, while also referring to the FIR filed by the Telangana government against Meta India.
What’s The Case?
The controversy dates back to the early hours of July 28, when a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his official Facebook page suddenly became unavailable to users. The video, which marked his first direct message to Generation Z amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over the NEET paper leak, had attracted significant public attention.