Meta has issued a formal apology after a Facebook video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly removed from the platform, prompting the Centre to seek an explanation and examine the circumstances that led to the incident.
The video, in which the Prime Minister addressed student protesters demonstrating over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, disappeared from Facebook just hours after it was uploaded before being restored.
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the removal was inadvertent.
"The content was removed in error and has since been restored," the spokesperson said.
Despite Meta's apology, the government has taken serious note of the incident. According to sources, the Centre is examining both the company's explanation and the sequence of events that led to the temporary removal of the Prime Minister's video. Meta representatives and concerned officials may be summoned to explain the matter.
As scrutiny intensified, news agency IANS reported that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had summoned senior representatives of Meta and Instagram over the temporary blocking of the video.
In his address, Prime Minister Modi assured students that the government would introduce stronger legal measures to tackle examination paper leaks. He said stricter provisions would be placed before the Union Cabinet, along with a proposal for fast-track courts to ensure swift trials in such cases.
The Prime Minister also said a draft law providing stringent punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks would be cleared by the Cabinet before being introduced in Parliament.
Emphasising the government's commitment to students, he said the academic year of nearly 22 lakh students had been protected despite the controversy.
"Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth," the Prime Minister said.
The video reportedly garnered millions of views before it was briefly taken down in the early hours of Tuesday. Before it was restored, users in India attempting to access the post were shown a notice stating that the content had been withheld in the region following a legal request.
The incident has raised questions over content moderation on major social media platforms, with the government now seeking a detailed explanation from Meta over how the Prime Minister's official communication was mistakenly removed.
