Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday countered Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg’s claims about the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, calling them “factually incorrect.” During an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg had erroneously stated that most incumbent governments, including India’s, lost elections in 2024.
Minister Vaishnaw Responds
Highlighting the error, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting clarified on X (formerly Twitter): “As the world’s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. The people of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The Narendra Modi-led NDA secured a decisive third-term victory in the 2024 elections, contrary to Zuckerberg’s statement that incumbents globally, including India, were defeated due to factors such as inflation, economic policies, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zuckerberg’s Controversial Remarks
Zuckerberg, in his interview, described a “global phenomenon” that led to electoral defeats for incumbents, citing dissatisfaction with government responses to the pandemic. “It seems to have had this effect that’s global,” he noted.
Minister Vaishnaw contradicted this narrative, emphasizing, “PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust.”
Global Reactions to Zuckerberg’s Comments
The controversy over Zuckerberg’s remarks is part of a larger debate surrounding Meta’s approach to fact-checking and misinformation. The International Fact-Checking Network criticized Meta’s stance, warning of “devastating consequences” if the company scaled back its fact-checking efforts globally, particularly in vulnerable democracies.
US President Joe Biden also weighed in, describing Meta’s recent policies as “really shameful.” Critics fear these measures could exacerbate misinformation, leading to political instability and violence in some countries.
Zuckerberg defended his position, likening the fact-checking program to Orwellian censorship. “This feels like something out of 1984,” he remarked, referencing George Orwell’s dystopian novel.
