Delhi Metro posters raise police hackles, special cell probes messages critical of Modi

Delhi Police have registered an FIR against unidentified people after posters perceived as targeting the Narendra Modi government were found pasted on a seat inside a train on the Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line, sources said on Saturday.

A special cell of the police’s anti-terror wing has been tasked with probing the case, prompting several people on social media to ask whether questioning the government and its policies was now a crime.

Sources said the two A4-sized black-and-white posters contained phrases such as “You Can Change Your Own Life”, “Voting Protest”, “Spectrum of Engagement”, “Community Building Reform” and “Dissatisfied? You Are Not Alone”.

“They also listed nine claims about changes in the country in recent years,” an official said.

According to him, the posters were critical of the government, conveyed dissatisfaction and invited people to join an online group through a QR code.

“The posters were seized by the police. A case was registered at the IGI airport police station under Section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act for defacement of property and Section 62 of the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act,” the official said.

The incident came to light on October 20. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Tarun Chaudhary, a train operator on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s Airport Express Line, who found the two posters.

The train departed from New Delhi Express Line Metro station at 6.50pm and arrived at Yashobhoomi Metro station at 7.15pm on October 20. During inspection, Chaudhary noticed two posters pasted on a seat, the FIR said. He removed the posters and informed his senior officers and the operations control centre. He was then directed to hand them over to the station controller at Dwarka Sector 21, who subsequently informed the police.

Cops swung into action and launched a probe to identify people who allegedly pasted the “objectionable” posters. Sources said the special cell, which exclusively investigates cases related to terrorism and anti-India activities, was also looking into the case.

“Questioning the government is a crime?” asked a social media user on X.

“How dare they question the government’s performance? THIS COUNTRY IS A JOKE”, a user who goes by the name Digvijay wrote.

“Engage NIA, CBI and ED immediately. Seize the posters, interrogate the glue supplier, and question everyone who owns a printer,” he added.

In 2018, the Delhi police had registered a case against unknown persons for pasting posters of Modi on boundary walls with the tagline “The Lie Lama”.