Meta apologized for briefly removing PM Modi's video. But the parliamentary panel demanded accountability, with some members calling for legal action against company officials.
The parliamentary committee on communications and information technology on Monday questioned Meta executives over the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video, with several members demanding accountability beyond the company's apology, sources said.
Meta officials apologized for the incident, telling the committee the video was taken down for a short period because of a technical error, sources added. Some members said the issue was not just about an apology. They wanted responsibility fixed for the lapse, and a few called for legal action against the Meta officials involved, the sources said.
The committee, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, also pressed the company for details on how it handles objectionable content on its platforms. Meta, Google, X, Snapchat and YouTube all gave presentations as part of the panel's examination of social and digital media regulation. Home Secretary Govind Mohan attended the session as well.
The controversy centers on a video released by Modi on July 23 in which he assured students the government would strengthen action against examination paper leaks. The video came amid protests by the Cockroach Janta Party over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 exam. The video was briefly unavailable on Facebook in the early hours of July 28 before being restored.
Meta earlier said the content was removed “in error” because of a technical issue and was restored shortly after. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta over the removal. MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the company's explanation of a technical error didn't seem fully acceptable, according to an earlier statement.
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