On Monday, Delhi government's odd-even experiment to limit private cars on the road faced its litmus test. Three days after coming into effect, the policy of allowing odd and even numbered cars on the roads only on alternate days was put through the test of the usually manic Delhi rush as citizens and students rushed to their work and colleges.
While the city responded enthusiastically to the drive even on a routine workday after the long weekend, the number of challans went up and almost 600 violators had been fined by the police by the afternoon. Public transport in the city, meanwhile, ran on full capacity with extra buses being pushed on the road and the Delhi metro making additional trips to manage the load.
Even as people on social media shared their experiences on the third day of the odd-even policy, there was a bit of excitement on social media after some people shared a photograph of the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, teeming with chaotic crowds.
The image proved to be a missile in the hands of the critics who used it to target Delhi government for the shoddy public transport arrangements and pushing people into inconvenience.
As it later turned out, the photograph was an old one, published in the Hindustan Times in October last year, which the newspaper itself felt the need to address through a tweet.
This picture was taken on October 22, 2014. It has no connection to the #OddEven scheme https://t.co/soDDlySBg5
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) January 4, 2016
Heavy rush at Delhi's Rajiv Chowk Metro Station on the eve of Diwali. (Photo: Sunil Saxena/Hindustan Times) #ht pic.twitter.com/2kwKF0r2CY
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) October 22, 2014
हद है फर्ज़ीवाड़े की. दिवाली की भीड़ की तस्वीर को आज की तस्वीर बताकर सोशल मीडिया पर फैलाया जा रहा है .#DelhiOddEven https://t.co/0t18CEv1Cy
— Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) January 4, 2016
This small nugget of truth, however, proved too little and too late to control Twitter as humour and barbs took over the narrative and soon enough, Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party supporters were mocking each other.
Here's a selection:
@Being_Humor #rajivchowk at 3 pm #OddEvenFormula pic.twitter.com/aX7RxrmizS
— shiva (@hshivakumar) January 4, 2016
Whoa! At Rajiv Chowk , Crowd goes mad as one guy tried to escape. pic.twitter.com/atVpdNll4b
— Tempest (@ColdCigar) January 4, 2016
This is Rajiv Chowk metro station at the moment, no mad rush, business as usual. #PropgandaBusted pic.twitter.com/AoQzzT8mkM
— Rofl Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_) January 4, 2016
Rajiv Chowk as on 1:30 PM. Thoughts and prayers! pic.twitter.com/37z56SXqHj
— kafanchor neta (@prtxt) January 4, 2016
.@prtxt #RajivChowkRightNow pic.twitter.com/O1e5DvDwg7
— Gone Native (@_GoneNative) January 4, 2016
Situation at Rajiv Chowk metro is no indication that #EvenOddPlan is bad. Just highlights need for infra back-up, enormous prep & follow-up.
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) January 4, 2016
Reports from metro at Rajiv Chowk not encouraging.Overcrowding leading to some chaos.Public transport still not ready for odd/even it seems.
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 4, 2016
Sunburn at Rajiv Chowk, delhi. #OddEvenMovement
— Umang K. (@KaabiraSpeaking) January 4, 2016
More pics coming in from Rajiv Chowk. Situation looks grim. Comeback possible in second half. pic.twitter.com/NwwZ88sRro
— dorku (@Dorkstar) January 4, 2016
The Odd Even rule has this great feature where a Delhi elite cannot carpool or take public transport without sharing 5 pictures on Twitter.
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) January 4, 2016
Congi troll updating a pic of the crowd outside Rajiv chowk Metro station today: pic.twitter.com/kJnqQ6aE2f
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) January 4, 2016
Metallica performing at Rajiv Chawk Metro station (New Delhi) pic.twitter.com/75Ef55wXwK
— Anurag Verma (@kitAnurag) January 4, 2016
Just In : A metro train at Rajiv Chowk station on yellow line. #OddEvenMovement pic.twitter.com/rs8tWGuqq8
— NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) January 4, 2016
AAPtard: Bhakts posting fake pics of Rajiv Chowk! In real, people are enjoying and dancing all over. #OddEven pic.twitter.com/rz0i2GbbDh
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) January 4, 2016
Adnan Sami, before and after boarding at Rajiv Chowk (New Delhi). #OddEvenFormula pic.twitter.com/qrDpQmRIRB
— PS (@pranavsapra) January 4, 2016
Next -> people born on Odd days allowed at Rajiv Chowk on odd days only and people born on even days can come on even days :)
— Sir Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhaqat) January 4, 2016
80 percent of the crowd in Rajiv chowk is made of people who went to take pictures of the crowd
— Priyanka Lahiri (@lahirip) January 4, 2016