Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said that a Parliamentary panel looking into alleged misuse of social media platforms has decided to continue its “discussion” with Facebook representatives.
The meeting on Wednesday lasted for almost three and half hours.
Facebook India head Ajit Mohan appeared before the panel but the deliberations of the meeting have not been revealed.
Read| Amid controversy, Facebook India chief appears before parliamentary panel
This comes amid a political slugfest with both BJP and Congress accusing each other of colluding with the social media giant to influence opinion.
Taking to Twitter, the Kerala MP wrote, “In response to overwhelming media interest in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology that just adjourned, this is all I can say: We met for some three and a half hours and unanimously agreed to resume the discussion later, incl with reps of Facebook.”
Besides the Facebook chief, some government officials and a few experts also deposed before the panel, PTI reported quoting sources.
Sources said a consensus on the next date for resuming the deposition of Facebook could not be reached with some members objecting to it on the ground that the committee is to be reconstituted.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by Tharoor, had summoned Facebook representatives to hear their views “on the subject of safeguarding citizens’ rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space,” according to agenda of the meeting.
After a report published in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored hate-speech made by politicians of the BJP in India, the Opposition wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg question companies policies.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had alleged that the Congress leader has been using the panel’s platform to further his and his party’s political agenda and even demanded his removal as chairman.
A source said the leaders who were earlier opposed to calling Facebook representatives before the panel also actively participated in the discussions and asked a host of questions from representatives of the social media giant.