VHP’s Vinod Bansal Welcomes Meta’s U-Turn on Fadnavis Video

• Meta reportedly republishes Fadnavis’ video after three days.
• Vinod Bansal welcomes the move and alleges moderation bias.
• VHP spokesperson raises concerns over nationalist and Hindu-oriented content.
• Bansal urges foreign businesses to respect India’s interests.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th Oct: VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal has welcomed Meta’s reported decision to republish Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ video message on Facebook and Instagram, three days after it was initially unavailable, while raising concerns over alleged bias in content moderation.

In a post on X, Bansal said the video was republished on the @WHCongress Facebook and Instagram pages on Wednesday afternoon following widespread media coverage of the issue. He described the move as an acknowledgment of Meta’s mistake, although his post did not provide details of the platform’s explanation.

Bansal Alleges Bias in Content Moderation
Bansal alleged that some members of Meta’s content moderation team were targeting content and accounts associated with nationalist and Hindu-oriented voices. He claimed that such actions included restricting or deleting content and reducing the reach of accounts and their followers.

He questioned why content linked to elected Indian leaders and ideological groups faced such restrictions, arguing that India’s importance as a major market for Meta made fair and transparent moderation particularly important.

The allegations were made in Bansal’s social media post; it did not provide independent evidence of a coordinated effort by Meta employees.

Warns Foreign Businesses
Welcoming the video’s restoration, Bansal said he was relieved that the matter had not escalated further. He cautioned foreign businesses operating in India to respect the country and its people, adding that India welcomed international companies but could also reject those perceived as showing disrespect towards it.

Questions Foreign Media Coverage
Bansal also criticised sections of the foreign media, alleging that their coverage of the controversy revealed their attitude towards India. He urged Indians to remain alert to what he described as forces working against the country’s interests.

The episode has renewed questions in Bansal’s post about transparency and consistency in social media moderation. Meta’s reasons for the video’s initial unavailability and its subsequent restoration were not detailed in the statement.