Indian Railways ‘Fact Check’ Misfires as Netizens Slam It for Dismissing Real Footage of Overcrowded Train at Lucknow Station as Misleading
Indian Railways faced a backlash on social media after responding to journalist Piyush Rai’s viral video showing commuters struggling to board a general compartment at Lucknow’s Charbagh Railway Station. The government entity flagged the video as potentially misleading, citing the absence of a PNR number and train details, and urged users to verify information before sharing to avoid wasting resources.
Indian Railways faced a backlash on social media after responding to journalist Piyush Rai’s viral video showing commuters struggling to board a general compartment at Lucknow’s Charbagh Railway Station. The government entity flagged the video as potentially misleading, citing the absence of a PNR number and train details, and urged users to verify information before sharing to avoid wasting resources. Rai pushed back, challenging the claim and suggesting legal action over the “misleading” tag. Netizens joined the debate, criticising the railways for deflecting responsibility instead of addressing overcrowding concerns. Many argued that the video’s authenticity is evident, and public safety and commuter convenience should take priority over procedural technicalities. It is important to note that PNR (Passenger Name Record) number is issued by the Railways when a train reservation ticket is booked. It is not assigned to passengers travelling in general compartments. Therefore, Railways asking for a PNR number in this case served no purpose. The incident has sparked a larger conversation about government agencies’ social media fact-checks and responsiveness to citizen-reported issues. Congress Shares Video of Overcrowded Trains Amid Chhath Puja Travel Chaos; Railway Ministry Fact-Checks Clip, Says Footage Is From Previous Years.
Indian Railways Labels Video of Overcrowded Train at Lucknow Station as Misleading
आपके फोटो/वीडियो में PNR, ट्रेन नंबर mention नहीं है, कृपया किसी भी वीडियो/ फोटो को साझा करने से पहले उसकी तथ्यता की जांच कर पूरी जानकारी दे जिससे त्वरित कार्रवाई के साथ समाधान हो।
इस तरह के अपूर्ण जानकारी के साथ फोटो या वीडियो साझा करने से न केवल भ्रम फैलता है, बल्कि इससे समय… pic.twitter.com/5RbLR4LcKt
— Northern Railway (@RailwayNorthern) October 23, 2025
Journalist Piyush Rai Slams Indian Railways
Despite being a govt entity, you are misleading the commuters by calling this video fake. Do you want to meet me in court over this? https://t.co/pG2XDRQBa5
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) October 23, 2025
Netizens Call Out Railways Over ‘Incompetence’
Hardly matters what the PNR number is. A citizen has shared a video about your incompetence on social media, it's your duty to identify details & fix the issue instead of tagging it as misleading. This ain't an AI made video, it's a real video.
— Mohak 🇮🇳 (@mohawk_ko) October 23, 2025
Train number is not mentioned in tweet hence misleading! Waah! If u had right intentions, u could have asked for more information rather than threatening common people.
— kunal kant (@kunalkantAAP) October 23, 2025
misleading kaise hua bkl agar train number nahi hai?
Tum log pure train ki length pe train number likhate ho ya fir ek chotisi jagah pe..
Instead of getting further details, ek stamp laga do misleading ka aur apni nakami chupao.. ek number nihayati ghatiya chindi kism ke log…
— Proxima (@to_proxima) October 23, 2025
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2025 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
