What did Mark Zuckerberg say in an interview to Joe Rogan’s podcast that’s been deemed so objectionable? How wrong or inaccurate were his comments? And is the response from some BJP MPs mistaken, exaggerated and, even, unbecoming?
Let’s start with Zuckerberg’s exact words:
“I kind of think that the reaction to COVID probably caused a breakdown and trust in a lot of governments around the world, because 2024 was a big election year around the world and there are all these countries – India just like a ton of countries that had elections. And the incumbents basically lost every single one.”
Now the question is did the BJP win the elections of 2024? If winning means getting a majority, it did not. However, did it form a government? It certainly did but only with the support of two of its allies. Not on its own. One of those allies, Telugu Desam Party, only became a member of the National Democratic Alliance in March 2024. The other ally, Janata Dal United, joined the alliance a few weeks earlier.
So how wrong was Zuckerberg? The BJP lost its majority and, indeed, was 63 seats below what it won in 2019. If that is what Zuckerberg had said he would have been unimpeachably correct. Instead, he claimed the “government” lost the election. That wasn’t the case because Modi formed a third government. But it wasn’t a BJP-majority government and the NDA had to be expanded to support it.
This is what Nishikant Dubey, chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Information Technology, has reacted to. He posted on X:
“My Committee will summon Meta over the false information. Misinformation about any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organization will have to apologize to the Indian parliament and the people for this mistake.”
Tarnish? Apologise? How serious a mistake was this?
Could anything Zuckerberg may have said – and not just what he actually said – tarnish India’s reputation? Surely not. It’s only an interview and often a lot of silly things are said in interviews. And apologise? If Zuckerberg wishes to he certainly can – and he has – but to demand it of him? Isn’t that an exaggerated response that assumes his casual comment is more important than it is? Why are we giving this man so much unnecessary importance? I’m sure no one else has.
However, Dubey went further. He also said:
“His statement shows that he is interfering with India’s democracy and is misleading the world by giving wrong information that BJP-NDA has lost…we have decided that we will summon people of Meta or else action will be recommended by the Committee.”
Frankly, I’d say this is more worrisome and embarrassing than the original mistaken comment. It belittles India’s stature as a proud democracy. It, even, seems to mock our claim to be the world’s biggest. This is why I say Dubey’s response is mistaken, exaggerated and unbecoming.
It’s also counterproductive. I can’t believe many people remember or even paid attention to Zuckerberg’s comment. It was one sentence in a three-hour interview. Dubey, however, plucked it out of obscurity and gave it headline treatment. His colleagues might applaud his assiduity and, even, his loyalty to his political bosses. But the rest of the world could be chortling. Who cared about Zuckerberg’s casual comment until he gave it the prominence it doesn’t deserve?
The information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s response was more measured and fitting. “Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-Covid is factually incorrect … it’s disappointing to see misinformation from Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility.”
He didn’t claim this was interference. He didn’t demand an apology. He didn’t threaten action.
I suspect Dubey’s deliberate overreaction was designed to attract attention. And it worked. Dubey may well benefit from that. I doubt if the image of India will.
Karan Thapar is a veteran journalist and hosts a popular talk show, ‘The Interview’, for The Wire.
