New Delhi: A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Wednesday took strong exception to the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook and demanded an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg within three days.
According to a letter sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the committee viewed the removal of the Prime Minister’s speech as a serious matter.
The video, in which PM Modi addressed students and Gen Z on examination-related controversies and the government’s crackdown on paper leaks, was reportedly unavailable on Facebook for nearly five to six hours.
The letter, signed by A. Jyothirmayi, Director in the Lok Sabha Secretariat, warned that the legal protection and immunity available to Zuckerberg could be reconsidered if he failed to issue an unconditional apology within the stipulated period.
“I am directed to refer to the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology (2025–26) held on August 3, 2026, with representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and social and digital media platforms — Snapchat, Google, X, Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram), and YouTube — on social and digital platforms and their regulation,” Jyothirmayi said in the letter.
“The removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video addressing students and Gen Z regarding examination controversies and strict action against paper leaks from Facebook for 5-6 hours was viewed very seriously by the Committee,” the letter stated.
The panel said the incident had raised concerns over the handling of content involving the Prime Minister and called for accountability from the social media company. It urged the government to take up the matter and ensure an appropriate response from Meta.
“During the deliberations, the Committee demanded an apology from Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Chief, on this issue,” Jyothirmayi noted.
“If he fails to tender an unqualified apology within three days of receipt of this letter, the protection/immunity given under Section 79(3) of the IT Act may be withdrawn and action taken against him as a publisher,” the letter added.
With IANS inputs