The INDIA alliance has accused WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube of aiding “the communal hatred campaign of the ruling BJP” and suppressing Opposition leaders’ content material. In a strongly worded letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg and Google CEO Sunder Pichai, the bloc of 28 political events alleged the social media platforms had been culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India.

“You may be aware of the recent exposes by the Washington Post newspaper about the role of WhatsApp and Facebook in aiding the communal hatred campaign of the ruling BJP. Specifically, the article cites details of how this vile, communally divisive propaganda is carried out using WhatsApp groups by BJP members and supporters.” the letter reads.

Citing one other WP report, the letter claimed the newspaper carried proof of what it referred to as blatant partisanship by Facebook and Google’s executives in direction of the federal government.

“It is very clear from these exhaustive investigations by the Washington Post that Meta is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India. Further, we have data that shows algorithmic moderation and suppression of Opposition leaders’ content on your platform while also promoting ruling party content,” it mentioned.

The letter, shared by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on X, declared that such partisanship by a non-public overseas firm “is tantamount to interfering in India’s democracy”.

It wrote an similar letter to Pichai whose agency Google owns YouTube.

“In light of the upcoming national elections in 2024, it is our earnest and urgent plea to you to consider these facts seriously and ensure immediately that Meta’s operations in India remain neutral,” it added.

In an article titled ‘Inside the huge digital marketing campaign by Hindu nationalists to inflame India’, the Washington Post attributed BJP’s electoral success to what it referred to as “a massive messaging machine built on top of U.S. social media platforms”.

In one other article on October 8, titled ‘A poisonous mixture of tech and hate threatens India’s democracy’, it accused social media platforms of turning into “conveyor belts for hate under Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.