Facebook Officials to appear before Delhi's Assembly Panel in concern with last year's riots

Facebook India's Public Policy Director Shivnath Thukral and Legal Director G V Anand Bhushan will appear before the Delhi Assembly's Peace and Harmony Committee regarding the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.

The committee will hold its meeting in Delhi Vidhan Sabha on November 18 at 12.30 p.m., led by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raghav Chadha. The panel is conducting an inquiry into the communal riots that hit Delhi in February last year, killing 53 people and injuring over 400 others.

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.

In February 2020, violence took place in the northeast area of Delhi between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act. Following this, the Peace and Harmony Committee (Committee) was constituted by the Delhi Legislative Assembly to probe the Delhi riots of February 2020.

The committee has so far heard seven witnesses while examining the role of social media in connection with the riots. The proceedings of the committee will be streamed live in view of transparency, the committee said.