Delhi Riots: Facebook India to appear before Assembly panel on Nov 18

New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) After seeking extension from the Delhi Assembly over a summon issued by the Committee of Peace and Harmony in connection with last year's riots in North East Delhi, Facebook India on Tuesday finally agreed to send its two senior representatives before the committee on November 18.

Facebook India said in a letter, "We again thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee of 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-economic development through communal harmony. Facebook shares the committee's aim to improve harmony among religious communities, linguistic communities and social groups."

Shivnath Thukral and G.B. Anand Bhushan will appear before the committee on behalf of Facebook India on Thursday.

The Committee on Peace and Harmony had summoned the senior representatives of the social media giant to depose over the North East Delhi riots before the panel on November 2. To which, Facebook India had sought an extension of 14 days to prepare. The team had also requested the committee to share the questions it intended to ask, "or at least the topics of inquiry in advance" so that Facebook's representatives are "equipped with the relevant information".

The committee was constituted after the riots that broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020 after clashes between anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and pro-CAA protesters took a violent turn.

The time of the mayhem coincided with then US President Donald Trump's maiden trip to India. Over 50 people had died in the riots. Several posts had then gone viral on social media, mainly on Facebook, adding fuel to the fire.