Meta India has issued an apology following a controversial remark made by CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the 2024 elections in India. In a statement shared on X, Meta India’s Vice President Shivnath Thukral acknowledged the “inadvertent error” in Zuckerberg’s comment, which claimed that incumbent governments, including India’s, lost elections in 2024 due to their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meta’s Apology and Clarification
Thukral clarified that while Zuckerberg’s observation about the impact of COVID-19 on elections may be true for several countries, it did not apply to India. “We would like to apologize for this inadvertent error,” Thukral wrote. He also emphasized Meta’s strong commitment to India, describing the country as a crucial market for the American tech giant. “India remains an incredibly important country for us, and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future,” he added.
Political Backlash and Criticism
Zuckerberg’s comment, made during a recent podcast, quickly sparked outrage in India. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the parliamentary committee on communications and information technology, announced plans to summon Meta over the “misinformation.” He called the statement damaging to India’s image and demanded an apology from Meta to both the Indian Parliament and the people of India.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also condemned Zuckerberg’s assertion, calling it a “factually incorrect” claim. Vaishnaw pointed out that India, with over 640 million voters, had conducted the 2024 elections successfully, reaffirming the people’s trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the NDA government.
Zuckerberg’s Original Statement
During his podcast appearance, Zuckerberg discussed the impact of COVID-19 on global politics, stating that the pandemic had caused a breakdown in trust in governments worldwide, leading to the defeat of incumbents in many countries during the 2024 elections. He suggested that this was a global phenomenon, affecting both the US and countries like India, where “incumbents lost every single one” of the elections held.
Zuckerberg’s comments were seen as an oversimplification of the Indian election outcome and sparked significant controversy due to the positive result for the ruling government.
Moving Forward
Meta India’s swift apology comes amid growing political pressure, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding international tech companies’ influence on public discourse in India. With the clarification, Meta hopes to mend its relationship with Indian officials and the public after the brief but intense backlash from Zuckerberg’s statement.
