Following a US media report that Facebook ignored applying its hate speech rules to politicians of the ruling party BJP in India, the social media giant has reacted to the allegation that it “prohibits hate speech and content that incites violence and enforces these policies globally without regard to anyone’s political position or party affiliation.”

“We prohibit hate speech and content that incites violence and we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone’s political position or party affiliation. While we know there is more to do, we’re making progress on enforcement and conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness and accuracy,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

In a report published on Friday, the Wall Street Journal cited interviews with unnamed Facebook insiders to claim that one of its senior India policy executives intervened in internal communication to stop a permanent ban on a BJP MLA from Telangana after he allegedly made communally charged posts.

There was no immediate comment on the issue by Facebook, for whom India is one of the fastest growing markets globally with over 340 million users.

However, the report has triggered a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP and the RSS of spreading “fake news” using Facebook and WhatsApp to influence the electorate.

The Congress has also demanded a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the charges mentioned in the report, saying they threaten the foundation of Indian democracy and need to be investigated.

“BJP & RSS control Facebook & Whatsapp in India. They spread fake news and hatred through it and use it to influence the electorate. Finally, the American media has come out with the truth about Facebook,” said Rahul Gandhi in a tweet.

The remarks were met with a sharp counter-attack from Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who reminded the opposition party of the Cambridge Analytica issue.

“Losers who cannot influence people even in their own party keep cribbing that the entire world is controlled by BJP and RSS.” Prasad said.

“You were caught red-handed in alliance with Cambridge Analytica and Facebook to weaponise data before the elections and now have the gall to question us,” he said.

Prasad added, “The fact is that today access to information and freedom of expression has been democratized. It is no longer controlled by retainers of your family and that is why it hurts.”

Prasad’s reference to Cambridge Analytica was about the allegations the Congress faced in 2018 that the UK-based firm offered the party data mining of Facebook posts to influencing voters in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Congress had rejected the charges.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, said the panel would like to hear from Facebook about the report.

“The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology would certainly wish to hear from Facebook about these reports and what they propose to do about hate-speech in India,” he tweeted.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, reacting to Tharoor’s comments, said the subjects which are permissible and are in accordance with rules of parliamentary standing committees could be raised.

But at the same time, he added that these panels should not be made a political platform by members to satisfy “ego of their respective party leaders”.

Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken, at a virtual press conference, demanded a JPC probe into the charges that Facebook ignored its hate speech policy in dealing with BJP lawmakers.

“The Congress party demands a JPC probe to ascertain the charges on how Facebook is helping the BJP in elections and in spreading hatred and fake news in society. There should be a JPC probe on how Facebook is helping the BJP,” he told reporters.

He said Facebook global should also hold a probe to ascertain the alleged links of some of its employees with the ruling party, to help protect its own credibility.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: “Facebook-Whatsapp sinister connection to BJP Government exposed.”

In March 2018, the Central government had issued a notice to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, seeking clarification concerning the alleged theft of personal information of Indian voters.

“Whether personal data of Indian voters and users has been compromised by CA? Whether Facebook or its related or downstream agencies utilizing Facebook’s data have previously been engaged by any entities to manipulate the Indian electoral process?” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) asked.

The letter sent to Facebook noted that it has largest footprint in India in terms of user base and sought its reply on proactive measures being taken by the company to ensure safety, security and privacy of such large user data and to prevent its misuse by any third party.

The action came after whistleblower, Christopher Wylie, revealed that his former employer worked with the Congress party in India on some regional projects.