Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday dismissed claims made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the outcome of India's 2024 general elections. Taking to X, the Information Technology Minister criticised Zuckerberg's assertion that the iNarendra Modi-led government had lost power, labelling it “factually incorrect.”
Zuckerberg, during a recent appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, discussed the global decline in trust in governments post-COVID-19. Referring to elections held in 2024, he remarked, “Incumbents basically lost every single one,” and singled out India, saying, “India had elections. The incumbents basically lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon – whether it was because of inflation or the economic policies to deal with COVID or just how the governments dealt with COVID.”
Vaishnaw countered these claims in a detailed post on X, stating, “As the world’s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. People of India reaffirmed their trust in NDA led by PM @narendramodi Ji’s leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect.”
Highlighting the government’s efforts during the pandemic, Vaishnaw added, “From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust.”
The Union Minister criticised Meta’s founder writing, “@Meta, it’s disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility.”
Zuckerberg’s Remarks On Biden Administration, Apple
Besides his comment on the Lok Sabha election in India, Zuckerberg’s remarks about the Biden administration and Apple have also drawn attention. The Meta CEO alleged that officials from the Biden administration had pressured his team to remove specific content, stating, “These people from the Biden administration would call up our team, scream at them, and curse.” While Zuckerberg clarified that there were no recordings of these calls, he mentioned that emails documenting the exchanges are publicly available.
He also criticised Apple, accusing the company of a lack of innovation. “Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now they’re just kind of sitting on it 20 years later,” Zuckerberg said, suggesting that newer iPhone models failed to offer significant advancements, leading to declining consumer interest.