Ever since Vande Bharat Express, India’s first semi-high speed train, was flagged off by PM Modi a few days ago, a certain section of media has been targeting the made in India train by mocking it for getting delayed during its first run.
A popular Hindi newspaper Navbharat Times published two different versions of the same piece of news in its Ghaziabad and Delhi editions on February 18. The newspaper published that an unidentified person has committed suicide by jumping in front of Vande Bharat express. In the newspaper’s Ghaziabad edition, it was reported that the incident took place when the train was travelling from Varanasi to Delhi.
While the same piece of news published in its Delhi edition claimed that the incident happened last month during the train’s trial run.
It is unlikely that the readers of the newspaper in Delhi will read the Ghaziabad version of the newspaper to cross-check the news or vice versa. The difference in the news reported in two editions was spotted by a Twitter user who posted the photos of both the editions on Twitter.
Two editions of Navbharat times – One published a month old news as today’s news to show delay in Vande Bharat express. A new low in journalism. pic.twitter.com/taJzvbLPz1
— Anuj Gupta (@anujg) February 18, 2019
This unexpected and highly irresponsible for a popular newspaper like Navbharat Times. This also raises questions on the credibility of the incident published by the newspaper.
Responding questions asked on social media regarding this anomaly, Navbharat Times journalist Narendra Nath Mishra said that it was a mistake that was rectified in the Delhi edition. He informed that Noida edition is printed earlier hence the error remained, which will be corrected later.
This was mistake which was corrected later in Delhi edition..Noida edition is earlier so this happened..Likely will publish clarification n correct today..Thanks for pointing out..:)
— Narendra nath mishra (@iamnarendranath) February 18, 2019
But this clarification still does not explain what was the need to publish a one-month-old news today. And even the Delhi edition, which carried the correct news, used a misleading headline to suggest it is a setback for the Vande Bharat Express project. Committing suicide by jumping in front of trains is an unfortunate event that happens quite often, but to term that as a setback for a newly launched train is a completely wrong presentation of the incident. People deliberately giving their lives by coming under running trains can’t raise questions on performance on a train, and Navbharat Times report on both the editions seems to be designed to spread negative information about the newly launched train.
