After previously seeking a 14-day extension, Facebook India's officials will appear before the Delhi Assembly Committee of Peace and Harmony in connection with last year's riots in North East Delhi, Times of India reported on Tuesday, 18 November.
Facebook India's Public Policy Director Shivnath Thukral, who is one of the officials to be summoned, wrote in an official letter, "We again thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee on Peace and Harmony to provide our views to assist the Committee in its aims to recommend preventative and remedial measures concerning issues of governance, social cohesion, unity, brotherhood and peace and to strengthen overall social and economic development through communal harmony."
He also said that "Facebook shares the Committee's aim to improve harmony among religious communities, linguistic communities, and social groups."
The official communique of the social media giant said that on behalf of the company, the officials that shall be appearing are Thukral and Director (Legal) GV Anand Bhushan.
The Delhi Assembly Committee was created to look into the North East Delhi riots took place in February 2020.
Facebook was brought into the picture when the committee recognised the importance of social media in creating or curbing fake news and false ill-intended messages that can cause violence and sustain it.
It opined that "since Facebook has lakhs of users in the NCT of Delhi, the committee has decided to hear the views of representative(s) of Facebook India."
(With inputs from Times of India.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)