Parliamentary panel takes tough stance on removal of PM Modi's video, members seek accountability from Meta officials

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT has taken a tough stance over the removal from Facebook of PM Modi's video last month on action against examination paper leaks with several members posing questions to Meta officials at its meeting on Monday, sources said. The video was later restored.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT has taken a tough stance over the removal from Facebook of PM Modi's video last month on action against examination paper leaks with several members posing questions to Meta officials at its meeting on Monday, sources said. The video was later restored. The sources said that Meta officials apologized, stating that the PM's video was removed due to an error. Several committee members are learnt to have said that the issue was not about an apology, but about fixing accountability.

Sources said committee members also demanded legal action against the Meta officials responsible for brief removal of the video. The sources said members are also learnt to have sought details from Meta on action the company has taken regarding controversial and objectionable content present on its platforms.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology held a meeting today and heard views of Social and Digital Media Platforms on the subject 'Social and Digital platforms and their regulation'. The panel is headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

According to the agenda of the meeting, representatives of Snapchat, Google, X (formerly Twitter), Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram) and YouTube on will brief the committee on the subject being examined by it. Home Secretary Govind Mohan was among senior officials present during the meeting.

The committee had held two meetings last month and deliberated on 'Self Reliance in Telecom Manufacturing Sector'. It was also briefed by officials of Information and Broadcasting Ministry on 'Review of functioning of Prasar Bharati Organization'. Meta had said on July 28 that PM Modi's Facebook video on action against examination paper leaks was removed due to a technical error and was restored.

"The content was removed in error and has since been restored," a Meta spokesperson had said in a statement. The Meta-owned social media platform had briefly restricted access to the video in the early hours of July 28 before restoring it.

The video, released on July 23, marked Prime Minister Modi's first direct address to Gen Z during the 36-day-long Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student agitation over the NEET-UG 2026 examination irregularities. In the video, the Prime Minister assured students that the government would take stronger action against examination paper leaks, saying stricter legal provisions would be brought before the Union Cabinet.

The cabinet later approved the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The Bill has since been passed by the both Houses of Parliament. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also summoned Meta over the brief taking down of PM Modi's video, with Secretary S Krishnan stating that the company's explanation of a "technical error" does not appear to be acceptable in its entirety. (ANI)