An Indian parliamentary committee has demanded an apology from Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg after a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily removed from Facebook and Instagram.
The video, which featured Modi addressing students during youth-led protests on July 23, was briefly taken down from the Meta-owned platforms before being restored. Meta said the removal was caused by a technical error.
However, Nishikant Dubey, Chairman of the parliamentary committee on communications and information technology, said the panel held Meta responsible for the incident.
“Deleting the prime minister’s video was not the work of an intermediary, but that of a publisher,” Dubey said.
Dubey, who is a lawmaker from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said Zuckerberg must apologise within three days.
India’s parliamentary standing committees are responsible for reviewing government policies and can summon officials and company executives for questioning. However, they do not have direct powers to impose penalties, remove legal protections or order prosecutions.
Any action against online platforms would have to be taken by the government or courts under existing laws.
Dubey said the committee had written to India’s interior and technology ministries requesting action over the incident.
“If he does not apologise, then all the safe harbour protections that have been provided to his social media platforms should end,” he told reporters.
Indian media reported that Meta officials had been summoned to explain the temporary removal of the video. Meta had not immediately responded to questions regarding the matter.
The video was posted by Modi on July 23 during protests led by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The demonstrations began in New Delhi over allegations of exam irregularities but later expanded into broader concerns about employment, youth opportunities and government policies.
Modi, who is an active user of X, posted his first vertical videos on Instagram as part of efforts to connect with younger audiences through a format popular among youth.
In the video, Modi assured students that his government would introduce stricter laws and tougher penalties against examination paper leaks.
