How did ‘hate-mongering’ newspaper enter the train?

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Copies of an unauthorised newspaper with strong right-wing leanings - The Aryavarth Express - were distributed to passengers of the Bengaluru-Chennai Shatabdi Express on Friday. The propagandist newspaper published ill-informed stories that are aimed at creating a rift between members of the Hindu and Muslim communities. For example, some of the headlines read: ‘Genocide of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists under Islamic r ule needs to be recognized’, ‘UN should label Aurangzeb as perpetuator of holocaust like Hitler’ and ‘CIA agent, Congresswoman Ilhan visit POK’.

The incident came to light after a tweet from traveller Gopika Bakshi, a gender justice activist, went viral. “This morning I boarded the Bangalore-Chennai Shatabdi Express only to be greeted by this blatantly propagandist publication on every other seat - The Aryavarth Express. Had never even heard of it. How is @ IRCTCofficial allowing this?” Bakshi tweeted. Many Congress leaders took the issue up on social media.

Congress MP B Manickam Tagore expressed distaste about the incident as well. “Will Hon’ble Rail minister order an inquiry into it? Whether it’s the proved policy of the @RailMinIndia to allow propaganda material in the Shatabdi express? Will write and raise the issue in Loksabha.#IndiaAgainstHate,” he tweeted (sic).

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram tweeted: “@RailMinIndia how does this paper get to be on this list of subscribed publications?” The official IRCTC Twitter handle claimed that the newspaper in question was found inside the regular, approved newspapers (a well-known city-based daily) as an insert. In a reply to IRCTC, Bakshi said: “It was not an insert - it was on my seat when I boarded.”

The Railway later stated that the Divisional Railway Manager in Bengaluru is investigating the incident.