Meta officials will be called in response to Zuckerberg's anti-Indian remarks.

Digital Desk: Nishikant Dubey, a BJP MP and the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology, has said that the committee will call Meta representatives in response to Mark Zuckerberg's comments. Zuckerberg's remarks on a purported anti-government climate in India, according to Dubey, were "alarming" and amounted to meddling in the political processes of the nation.

According to Zuckerberg, "the response to COVID probably caused a breakdown of trust in a lot of governments around the world," in a podcast with American TV host Joe Rogan. India was one of many nations that held elections in 2024, a year with significant global election activity, and the incumbent lost all of them.

Dubey vehemently disagreed with the assertion in an interview with ANI, highlighting India's standing as a thriving democracy with a populace of 140 crore and a popularly elected parliament. "The owner of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, has given a statement and shown that after COVID-19, an atmosphere was there against the government where he has also mentioned India," Dubey stated. "This statement by Mark Zuckerberg is alarming because there is an atmosphere going on all over the world about social media platforms," he said, highlighting the BJP-led NDA's strong electoral mandate. Such remarks demonstrate his interference in India's democracy.

Dubey stated that if Meta did not provide an explanation and apology, the Parliamentary Committee would urge that legal action be taken. "We have made the decision to call upon the residents of Meta. Our committee will suggest action, including legal action, unless they apologise," he continued.

As for when Meta will respond, Dubey said the committee would meet on January 20 following its tour to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. "We will ask them to be present between January 20-24," he stated.

Additionally, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw denounced Zuckerberg's comments as "factually incorrect." Vaishnaw stated in a post on X, "India, the largest democracy in the world, held elections in 2024 with more than 640 million voters. The Indian populace once again shown faith in the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji. The assertion made by Mr. Zuckerberg that the majority of incumbent governments, including India in the 2024 elections, lost because of COVID is untrue.

During the pandemic, Vaishnaw emphasised the government's accomplishments, such as providing 800 million people with free food, administering 2.2 billion free vaccines, and making India the major economy with the quickest rate of growth. "Good governance and public trust are demonstrated by PM Modi's resounding victory for a third term. @Meta, seeing false information from Mr. Zuckerberg himself is disheartening. Let's maintain credibility and facts," Vaishnaw continued.

Dubey underlined the Indian Parliament's sovereign authority to intervene if necessary. "The Committee has the same authority as the Indian Parliament. In reference to actions taken by parliaments in Australia, the US, and the UK against internet firms, he said, "The Indian Parliament is a sovereign power... If the Indian Parliament wants, it can take any decision."