After EVMs, Rahul Gandhi blames BJP & RSS for influencing electorate by ‘controlling’ Facebook and Whatsapp
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused both BJP and RSS of controlling Facebook and WhatsApp in India. While the Congress posted the article as evidence of the alleged social media manipulation by the BJP, the ruling party cited the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and said the Congress should not point fingers.
In the article titled “Facebook Hate-Speech Rules Collide With Indian Politics — Company executive opposed move to ban controversial politician”, the Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook looks the other way in cases of hate speech and objectionable content from leaders and workers of the ruling BJP.
The Journal also reported that an executive of the social media giant had said punishing violations by BJP workers “would damage the company’s business prospects in the country”. Quoting current and former employees, the article said Facebook has a “broader pattern of favouritism” towards the BJP.
Reacting to Gandhi’s tweet, Shashi Tharoor said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology would “certainly wish to hear from Facebook about these reports and what they propose to do about hate-speech in India.”
Gandhi’s tweet comes after senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called Facebook “greatest carrier of lies” and termed it a “lethal threat to social harmony and reasoned debate.”
Ramesh also said that the Parliament must institute an inquiry into FB’s practices.
