‘Mark Zuckerberg must apologise’: What MP panel’s letter said about PM Modi video row

The Committee also demanded action against the intermediary platforms which carry child sexual abuse material (CASM) and demeaning material against women.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that Meta's reorganisation and job cuts were not as "clean" as they could have been. (Image: Reuters)Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Image: Reuters)

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to issue an apology within three days over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 23 video from Facebook and initiate action against those responsible for the incident.

“I am directed to refer to the meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology (2025-26) held on 3 August 2026 with representatives of 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,” the panel representative’s letter to S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT, read.

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“The removal of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s video addressing students and Gen Z regarding examination controversies and strict actions against paper leaks from Facebook for 5-6 hours viewed very seriously by the Committee. The Committee demanded an apology from Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Chief on this issue. If he fails to tender an unqualified apology within 3 days of receipt of this letter,” the panel said in a statement.

“Similarly, the Committee demanded action against the intermediary platforms which carry child sexual abuse material (CASM) and demeaning material against women. If the intermediary platforms fail to remove CASM material from their portals, action should be taken under section 79(3) of IT Act. The Committee while discussing Hyderabad Cyber Police Action against the Google India Head as a co-accused along with the Cyber fraudsters after the complainants alleged that they lost more than Rs 48 lakhs by investing through fraud Apps, the Committee desired that similar action be taken against the Google India by the Government of India,” the letter further read.

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism. Expertise High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including: The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls. National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus. Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities. National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements. Academic Credentials: Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions. Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More

 

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