New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has instructed X (formerly Twitter) to take down 285 social media links containing videos of the February 15 stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, The Hindustan Times reported.

This marks one of the ministry’s first major actions since it was granted direct content takedown powers in December.

Citing ethical concerns and X’s content policies, the ministry issued a notice on February 17, giving the platform 36 hours to comply.

The notice warned that sharing such videos could incite public unrest and disrupt railway operations, especially during a period of high train traffic.

The directive also targeted several accounts, including those of major news organisations. The notice stated that the videos contained “sensitive or disturbing media depicting deceased individuals.”

Previous social media takedowns

This is not the first instance of the ministry exercising its takedown authority. In January, it issued a similar directive to YouTube and Instagram, instructing them to remove content that contained “misleading and provocative information” that could disturb public order.

That notice referenced one YouTube video, one Instagram post, and two Instagram reels. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, confirmed it had acted upon receiving a valid legal request.

Delhi HC reviews stampede-related issues

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Thursday (February 20) directed the Railways to examine issues related to passenger limits and platform ticket sales. The directive came during a hearing on a public interest petition regarding the recent stampede.

A bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela raised concerns over inadequate crowd management.

The judges questioned why the number of tickets sold often exceeded the train coach capacity.

The court has instructed the Railway Board to review the situation and submit an affidavit detailing the measures it plans to implement.

The stampede at New Delhi Railway Station resulted in at least 18 deaths.

The incident occurred on platforms 14 and 15 as large crowds gathered to board trains bound for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is currently taking place.