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Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has strongly dismissed statements made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the outcome of India's 2024 general elections. Zuckerberg, during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, claimed that incumbents across the globe, including India, lost power in the elections post-COVID-19. Vaishnaw responded by labeling these claims as “factually incorrect” in a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter).
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.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 13, 2025
Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections,…
Zuckerberg’s Claims on 2024 Elections
In the podcast, Zuckerberg commented on the global political landscape post-pandemic, attributing widespread electoral losses to factors like inflation and governments’ handling of COVID-19. He specifically mentioned India, stating, “India had elections. The incumbents basically lost every single one.” Zuckerberg framed this as part of a global trend of diminishing trust in governments.
Vaishnaw's Firm Rebuttal
Ashwini Vaishnaw swiftly countered Zuckerberg’s assertions, emphasizing the factual inaccuracy of the claims. Taking to X, he stated:
“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, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect.”
Vaishnaw also highlighted the Modi government’s pandemic-era achievements and their impact on the electoral outcome:
- COVID-19 Relief: Free food provided to 800 million citizens and 2.2 billion free vaccines distributed during the pandemic.
- Global Leadership: India extended aid to nations worldwide, showcasing its commitment to global welfare.
- Economic Growth: Under PM Modi’s leadership, India emerged as the fastest-growing major economy.
Vaishnaw described the decisive victory of the Narendra Modi-led NDA in 2024 as a testament to effective governance and public trust, dismissing Zuckerberg's remarks as misinformation.
Criticism of Meta and Zuckerberg
In his post, Vaishnaw expressed disappointment over Zuckerberg's statements, directly addressing Meta:
“@Meta, it’s disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility.”
Zuckerberg’s Remarks on Biden Administration and Apple
Zuckerberg’s controversial statements extended beyond Indian elections. He also criticized the Biden administration and Apple during the podcast:
On Biden Administration:
Zuckerberg alleged that officials from the administration had pressured Meta to remove certain content, stating:
“These people from the Biden administration would call up our team, scream at them, and curse.”
Although Zuckerberg admitted there were no recordings of these calls, he noted that email exchanges documenting these interactions are publicly available.
On Apple:
The Meta CEO accused Apple of lacking innovation, stating:
“Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now they’re just kind of sitting on it 20 years later.”
He criticized the company for failing to introduce groundbreaking advancements in newer iPhone models, suggesting declining consumer interest as a result.
