BJP and opposition clash at Indian parliamentary panel over Meta content moderation

BJP MPs sought an apology from Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post, while Opposition members cautioned against political influence over content moderation and argued that “technology should be regulated, not democracy”.

Updated - August 08, 2026 09:34 pm IST | NEW DELHI

By Nistula Hebbar and Sobhana K. Nair

A face-off erupted between ruling party and Opposition MPs on Monday at the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, where Meta representatives were summoned in the backdrop of recent students’ protests.

BJP members, led by panel chairperson Nishikant Dubey, demanded an apology from Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg for restricting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post. The Opposition pushed back, arguing that democracy should not be regulated in the name of regulating technology.

Instagram played a crucial role in the protests, acting both as a platform airing discontent and as a tool to mobilise protesters. The BJP has criticised many of the reels shared by protesters as “distasteful” — a concern also shared by PM Modi.

BJP’s Demands and Warnings

Mr. Dubey warned that the social media company could face action if accountability was not fixed. He is learnt to have asked Meta to provide a complete audit trail of the post, from “report to restoration”. The restriction, Mr. Dubey reportedly said in his opening remarks, underscored the need for greater oversight of Meta’s content moderation processes, automated systems and recommendation algorithms.

Referring to the recent episode involving Mr. Modi’s Facebook post, Mr. Dubey said:

“When a video of the Prime Minister of India can be removed, and they themselves admitted that the content was missing for five hours, from 12.30 a.m. to 5 a.m., it raises serious questions.”

Allegations of a Pattern

Mr. Dubey alleged that the incident reflected a pattern of conduct by Meta and questioned the company’s handling of content on its platforms.

“This is not the first time Meta has done such a thing. In January, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg had said that PM Modi lost the 2024 election. He is still our Prime Minister, so which election is he talking about? Mr. Zuckerberg had later apologised for his remarks. This shows that his intention is to destabilise the country.”

Opposition’s Counterarguments

The Opposition pushed back against the line of questioning by Mr. Dubey and other BJP MPs, arguing that content moderation decisions on social media platforms should not be subject to political influence.

While raising their own concerns about Meta — particularly on issues of privacy and compliance with Indian laws — they maintained that criticism of the government could not be equated with anti-national content.

Congress MP Shafi Parambil is learnt to have told the meeting:

“Technology should be regulated, not democracy.”

He emphasised that dissent could not be criminalised.

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• Meta tells parliamentary panel ready to apologise for error related to PM’s post, grilled on algorithmic bias