BJP MP questions Shashi Tharoor’s stance for summoning Facebook without consulting I&T members

Last updated on February 15th, 2023 at 12:24 pm

After the Wall Street Journal report on hate speech on social media, there has been growing controversy over the BJP’s nexus with Facebook. On Monday, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey asks all NDA MPs in the House Panel to write to the Lok Sabha Speaker against I&T Committee Chairman Dr. Shashi Tharoor on summoning Facebook without discussing with members, The ANI News stated. 

The controversy erupted when the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the WSJ report highlights that the BJP and the RSS control over Facebook and WhatsApp in the nation. Following, the head for Committee for Information Technology Shashi Tharoor pronounced that the House Panel would like to hear from Facebook. However, it’s more likely that the Panel will summon Facebook, the NDTV reported.

The matter has become the most recent cause of row between the Congress and the BJP with the Congress referring to the report as proof of the supposed social media handling by the BJP. The TMC MP Mahua Moitra took the side of Shashi Tharoor and expressed that it is the right of the Chairman when to schedule things and whom to summon. 

Whereas on the other hand, Facebook India’s public policy chief Ankhi Das, who is alleged for shielding BJP politicians, regardless of them violating Facebook’s hate speech norms. 

Read: Accusations of phone tapping by AP government

As per the WSJ report, Ankhi Das stated that punishing violations by politicians from BJP would tarnish Facebook’s future business prospects in India. Currently, she has filed a complaint to the Delhi Police Cyber Cell in which she has asserted that she has been receiving several violent threats.

Related News: Parliametary panel would like to hear from Facebook about the WSJ report on hate speech, says Tharoor