After train tickets bearing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture and achievements were withdrawn, tea was served on cups with “Main Bhi Chowkidar” slogans in a Shatabdi train. The Railways was forced to withdraw the cups after the issue was raised by several passengers and pictures were shared on social media.
On Friday, passengers travelling on the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Kathgodam tweeted pictures of paper cups that were used for serving tea with the PM’s flagship ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ (I am a watchman as well) campaign slogan. The cups also had a font design pledging the protection of the State, India, its pride and reputation, among other things.
A colleague shares how #MainBhiChowkidar branding is being used on train….
Train No. 12040 #KathgodamShatabdi has tea served twice in these cups!
Is this not violation of MCC??@RailMinIndia @SpokespersonECI @PiyushGoyal @ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/hZjhCnUP9U— 🦏 Payal M/પાયલ મેહતા/ पायल मेहता/ পাযেল মেহতা (@payalmehta100) March 29, 2019
The Railways issued a statement underlining that no prior permission was taken for “printing advertisements”. “Rs 1 lakh fine has been imposed on the licensee and has also been served a show cause notice,” the Railways said.
Earlier in the day, NewsCentral24x7 contacted the additional director general of Indian Railways Smita Vats Sharma. She directed us to contact IRCTC public relations officer Siddharth Singh. He said he will investigate the matter and get back to us.
The reports come a day after the Election Commission issued show cause notices to the Railways and Civil Aviation Ministries, over the use of Modi’s pictures on rail tickets and Air India boarding passes, as prima facie, it violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).