According to reports, the Railway Ministry has ordered platform X to remove 285 social media links containing videos of casualties from the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15.

This action follows new authority granted on December 24, which allows the Railways ministry's executive director of information and publicity (Railway Board) to directly issue takedown notices to social media platforms under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act. Previously, such requests had to go through the IT ministry’s Section 69A blocking committee.

According to the Hindustan Times, the ministry has given social media platforms 36 hours to remove tweets from multiple accounts, citing concerns over "sensitive or disturbing media depicting deceased individuals."

In its February 17 notice, the ministry stated that it has the authority under the section to issue takedown notices "to remove/disable access to URLs, accounts, etc. where unlawful advertisements, endorsements, promotional content, etc. are published."

Official reports indicate that at least 18 people lost their lives in the tragic stampede, including nine women, four men, and four children, while more than a dozen others were injured. An estimated 50,000 people had gathered at New Delhi Railway Station to travel to Prayagraj for Mahakumbh.

Several videos showed a tremendous crowd of passengers running through the railway station. Some carried children on their shoulders, while others struggled to move with their luggage in the midst of the chaos.

In response, the Delhi High Court issued notices to the Union government, Indian Railways, and the Railway Board, urging the immediate implementation of safety measures to prevent similar tragic incidents in the future.