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We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error, Shivnath Thukral, Meta India’s Vice President, said. Nishikant Dubey responded by saying the apology is a win for 140 crore Indians.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (AP Image)
Meta India on Wednesday apologised for “inadvertent error” that its CEO Mark Zuckerberg made by commenting that the incumbent government in India lost the election in 2024 due to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Mark’s observation holds true for several countries, BUT not India,” the company said.
“We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error. India remains an incredibly important country for
Meta, and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future,” Shivnath Thukral, Meta India’s Vice President, posted on X.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the parliamentary committee on communications and information technology, had on Tuesday said that his team would summon Meta.
However, after Meta India’s apology, Dubey told News18, “This apology is a win for 140 crore Indians.”
The BJP MP’s Tuesday action came after Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s criticised Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who owns the controlling stake in the Meta group of companies, for making a “factually incorrect” statement that the incumbent government in India lost the election in 2024 over issues arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is disappointing to see misinformation from Mr Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility,” Vaishnaw said, tagging Meta on X and other social media platforms.
“From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust,” he added.
Appearing on the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg said 2024 was the big election year around the world and in a lot of countries like India, the incumbents lost the polls.
“There is some sort of global phenomena, whether it was inflation because of the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid, seems to have this effect that is global, not just the US, but like a very broad decrease in trust, at least in the set incumbents and maybe, in sort of these democratic institutions overall,” he said.
In the 2024 election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its majority, but the ruling alliance led by the party won a comfortable majority, paving the way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third straight term.
(With inputs from PTI)