Only a rumour: Railways’ initial response draws public outrage

The gross mismanagement of the anticipated Maha Kumbh passenger rush at New Delhi Railway Station was not the only lapse that drew public outrage against the Railways over the past two days. Equally troubling was the Railways’ initial response to the tragedy — a shocking denial of the stampede that claimed 18 lives, followed by a delayed condolence message from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Chaos, denial & delayed action

• After the tragic incident began unfolding at 9.55 pm on Saturday, the Railways claimed there was no stampede at New Delhi Railway Station and it was only a rumour.
• Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in his posts on social media platform X at 11.36 pm, 11.52 pm and 12.53 am did not acknowledge the tragedy.

After a major flip-flop about the scale of the incident, which began unfolding at 9.55 pm on Saturday, it was only at 1.09 am on Sunday that Vaishnaw acknowledged the stampede and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. His tweet came much after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s post at 11.55 pm on X, which first confirmed the stampede deaths, though Saxena later edited his remarks to remove references to the casualties. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh offered his condolences at 12.13 am, followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 12.56 am. Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Amit Shah also expressed their condolences later.

At 1.09 am, Vaishnaw in a post on X said, “Deeply saddened by the unfortunate stampede that occurred at New Delhi Railway Station. My prayers are with all those who have lost their loved ones. The entire team is working to assist all those who have been affected by this tragic incident.” However, his earlier tweets, posted at 11.36 pm, 11.52 pm and 12.53 am, primarily addressed the chaos at the station and the measures being taken to manage the crowd, with no immediate acknowledgment of the stampede or its severity.

Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal criticised the handling of the situation, stating, “This is not the way to deal with a situation, especially when a heavy rush is expected. The Railways clearly failed in their responsibility to foresee and manage the situation. The buck stops at the Railway Minister.”

Vaishnaw reportedly met Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday to explain the events at the railway station. Meanwhile, the Congress-led opposition questioned the Railways’ initial denial of the stampede. The Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northern Railways had initially claimed, “There is no stampede (at New Delhi Railway Station). It is only a rumour. Northern Railways was running two planned special trains (for Prayagraj).” This statement came even as reports of injuries and fatalities emerged.

Even a day later, there were no clear answers about what exactly happened at New Delhi Railway Station, which is designated to be developed as a world-class facility by the Railways.

A recent report by the Railways showed that the station retained its position as India’s highest-earning and busiest railway station in 2023-24, handling over 3.93 crore passengers and earning more than Rs 3,337 crore.