Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre on Sunday of aiming to portray the railways as “incompetent” to justify its privatisation to “friends”. He urged people to oust the Modi government to safeguard public transportation for the common person.

“’Rail journey’ has become a punishment under Narendra Modi’s rule! Passengers of every category are being harassed by the Modi government which is promoting only ‘elite trains’ by reducing general coaches from common persons’ trains.” said Gandhi, posting a video on social media, showing passengers cramped in train toilets and on the floor.

His post didn’t mention the train name or journey date.

He claimed the government’s actions might pave the way for railway privatisation. “The Modi government wants to prove railways ‘incompetent’ by weakening it with its policies so that it has an excuse to sell it to its friends,” Gandhi alleged.

If the common person’s transport is to be saved, then the Modi government will have to be removed, the former Congress chief said.

Over-packed train videos viral on social media

Several videos depicting overcrowded trains have gone viral on social media platforms, with passengers expressing their frustration over unpleasant journeys.

Responding to a couple of the videos, the railway ministry said the videos are old or misleading. In one instance, the ministry tweeted a video of the train without overcrowding, urging users not to “malign the image of Indian Railways by sharing misleading videos.”

In another response, the ministry clarified that the videos shared were outdated and encouraged users to observe the current condition. “It is hereby informed that videos shared in this post are old. Watch the present condition of the train mentioned. IR is running a record number of additional trains in this season to facilitate passengers.”

However, the users claimed the authenticity of the posts and criticised the railways for “merely whitewashing the situation without addressing the underlying issues”.

Railways to operate highest ever summer train trips: Statement

The Railway ministry is gearing up for a busy summer season by significantly increasing train trips to accommodate the surge in passenger demand. The ministry plans to operate a record-breaking 9,111 trips during the summer months from 6,369 trips offered in 2023, it said in a press statement.