Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Meta has apologised to the Indian government after a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly blocked on Facebook, attributing the removal to a technical glitch, with sources saying the government is taking the matter seriously and examining the circumstances that led to it.
Meta Says Content Removed in Error, Since Restored
A Meta spokesperson stated that the content was taken down in error and has since been restored. According to sources, the government is closely reviewing both Meta’s explanation and the events surrounding the video’s removal, with Meta representatives and relevant officials potentially being summoned to provide further clarification. News agency IANS reported that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had summoned the global heads of Meta and Instagram over the temporary blocking of the video.
Video Featured PM’s Message to Gen Z During Student Protests
The video in question, uploaded on July 23, featured PM Modi’s address to Gen Z amid student protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). In his message, the Prime Minister said the government would introduce tougher measures to tackle examination paper leaks, including stricter legal provisions to be placed before the Union Cabinet, and confirmed that directions had been issued to establish Fast-Track Courts for such cases. He added that a draft law proposing stringent punishment and special courts for paper leak cases would go before the Cabinet ahead of introduction in Parliament, and said the government had ensured the academic year of nearly 22 lakh students remained unaffected, stressing that nothing was more important than the welfare and future of the country’s youth.
Video Blocked Briefly Before Being Restored
Before it was restored, users in India were shown a notice stating that the video had been withheld in the region following a legal request. The address had already garnered millions of views before access was briefly restricted on Facebook in the early hours of Tuesday.
