The Trinamool has accused social media giant Facebook of being a “ de facto campaigner of the Bharatiya Janata Party” during the Lok Sabha election.
Derek O’Brien, party MP, said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that “Facebook censored anti-BJP content and its Delhi office was an extension of the BJP Information Technology (IT) cell.”
Facebook did not respond to the allegations.
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Mr. O’ Brien’s remarks assume significance as last year the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) instituted a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the U.K.-based Global Science Research and Cambridge Analytica illegally harvested and misused the data of Indian Facebook users. The investigation was based on a reference from the government following allegations of illegal Facebook data.
On Tuesday, participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address, Mr. O’Brien said that 80% of the political advertisements on Google were funded by the BJP.
“The media should investigate. Sarvami Foundation, which was later renamed as Association of Billion Minds, was nothing but a surrogate for pushing BJP ads … it’s a sordid story. Facebook is a non-disclosed ally of the BJP. FB got lot of benefits in return,” the MP said.
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In another discussion, Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena called for removing the special status of J&K by scrapping Articles 370 and 35A.
“The special status of J&K is against the interests of other States like Bihar and Odisha, which have also been demanding the same. It cannot have special status if it considers itself part of India. Kashmir threatens us that it would merge with Pakistan or break away. Now these threats will not work,” Mr. Raut said.
Nationalist Congress Party’s Majeed Memon attacked the government for increase in incidents of lynching and raised the killing of 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand.
“In the name of new India, one should not impose an illiberal socio political order...It is a country of all communities and faiths,” CPI MP D. Raja said.