Nishikant Dubey, the head of the parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology, has demanded an apology from Meta for “tarnishing India’s image” following remarks by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The comments, made during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, suggested that the incumbent government in India had lost the 2024 general election. Dubey, a BJP MP, accused Zuckerberg of spreading misinformation and stated that Meta would be summoned to address the issue.
“My committee will call Meta for this wrong information,” Dubey wrote in a post on X. “Wrong information 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,” he added.
In response, Dubey clarified the timeline for Meta’s appearance. “Our committee will be on a visit to Andaman and Nicobar Islands from tomorrow and will conclude on January 20. We will speak to members there and expect Meta to be present between January 20-24.”
This controversy stems from a comment by Zuckerberg, who referred to the 2024 election in India as part of a global trend where incumbents lost power, attributing the change to the effects of Covid-19 and related economic policies. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, criticized Zuckerberg for his “factually incorrect” statement, defending the Indian government’s achievements during the pandemic and the country’s economic growth.
Zuckerberg’s statement, Dubey said, was an alarming interference in India’s democracy.
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