In the wake of the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, 2025, which left 18 people dead and dozens injured, the Union ministry of railways has directed social media platform X to remove 285 links containing videos of the incident.
The ministry cited “ethical norms” and the need to prevent panic as reasons for the takedown, but critics have accused the government of prioritising image control over transparency and accountability.
The directive was issued to X on February 17, and gave them 36 hours to remove the content, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.
The ministry’s notice said that the videos violated the platform’s own content policies and could “create an unwarranted law and order situation.”
It also expressed concern that the footage “may affect the operations of Indian Railways,” during a period of high passenger traffic.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from Opposition leaders, who see it as part of a broader pattern of government efforts to suppress information rather than address systemic issues.
The stampede has raised questions about overcrowding, alleged miscommunication, inadequate infrastructure, and the lack of emergency preparedness at one of the country’s busiest railway stations.
A pattern of denial and distraction?
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj called the takedown request a “very dangerous precedent".
"After, failing to coverup the stampede, now Central Govt’s Railways wants X to remove all videos of Railway station. This is a very dangerous precedence," Bharadwaj said.
Journalist turned Trinamul Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghosh called the Narendra Modi government as a “3D government” of “denial, distraction, and disinformation.”
"First the @RailMinIndia said #NewDelhiStampede at the railway station was a “rumour.” Then they played down death figures. Now they want videos of the stampede removed," Ghosh wrote on X.
National spokesperson of the Congress, Dr. Shama Mohamed, accused railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of being more focused on his public image than on addressing the crisis. “Shame on you, Ashwini Vaishnaw! You must resign,” she said.
Congress leader Saral Patel blamed the minister for a series of accidents under his watch and accused him of prioritising his reputation over the lives of passengers. “Instead of taking responsibility, he is more concerned about his image,” Patel said.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Anish Gawande drew parallels between the stampede video takedown notice and earlier efforts to suppress information during the COVID-19 pandemic, the migrant worker crisis, and the aftermath of demonetisation. “Do all this,” he said. “But the truth will always come out.”
The stampede at New Delhi Railway Station is just the latest in a series of incidents that have exposed the vulnerabilities of India’s rail infrastructure. With millions of passengers relying on the railways every day, calls for systemic reforms and greater accountability have grown louder.