- Meta apologises for removing PM Modi's Facebook video.
- Company cites technical glitch; video now restored
- Centre to summon Meta officials over video removal.
Meta, on Tuesday, apologised after removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video, citing it was a "technical glitch" and not an intentional move. The social media giant restored the video on Monday and acknowledged that it had been taken down mistakenly. A Meta spokesperson said, “This happened in error, and the video has now been restored. We apologise for the mistake." The Centre has taken the incident very seriously, and officials from Meta are likely to be summoned to explain the circumstances surrounding the removal.
The controversy started during the early hours of Tuesday (July 28) after users found that PM Modi’s video, his first direct address to Generation Z amid the ongoing CJP-led student protests, was unavailable on Facebook.
During the time when the video clip was inaccessible, netizens reportedly saw a notice stating that the post was unavailable in India due to a “legal request", triggering widespread speculation on social media.
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What Did PM Modi Say In Video?
The video, uploaded on July 23, featured PM Modi's message to Gen Z during a student protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
In his address, the Prime Minister said the government would announce tougher measures to tackle paper leaks. PM Modi had assured students that the government would take stricter measures to curb examination paper leaks, including bringing tougher legal provisions before the Union Cabinet.
He said directions had been issued to set up Fast-Track Courts and that a draft law proposing stringent punishment and special courts for paper leak cases would be placed before the Cabinet before being introduced in Parliament.
The Prime Minister also said the government had ensured that the academic year of nearly 22 lakh students remained unaffected and stressed that "nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth."
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.