Meta has issued an apology for Mark Zuckerberg's controversial statement regarding the 2024 elections, which suggested that many incumbent governments, including India's, were voted out due to dissatisfaction stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. This apology came after significant backlash from Indian officials, including Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
In a response to Vaishnaw's fact-checking post, Meta India's Vice President for Public Policy, Shivnath Thukral, stated, "Mark's observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in 2024 elections holds true for several countries, but not India. We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error." He emphasized India's importance to Meta, expressing a commitment to being part of its innovative future.
The controversy arose during a podcast appearance by Zuckerberg, where he claimed that the 2024 elections saw a global trend of incumbent governments losing power. Following this remark, Dubey announced plans to summon Meta representatives for spreading misinformation and insisted that the organization should apologize to both the Indian Parliament and its citizens.
Thukral's apology is seen as an attempt to mitigate the situation and reaffirm Meta's dedication to the Indian market. The incident underscores the sensitivities surrounding international commentary on India's political landscape.