Varsha Gaikwad Slams Ashwini Vaishnaw Over Vande Bharat Video Blunder: Peru Rail Clip Sparks 'Reel Minister' Jabs!

Congress leader Varsha Eknath Gaikwad took aim at Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday after he deleted a promotional video of the Vande Bharat train he had posted on World Tourism Day. Gaikwad, the chief of Congress’ Mumbai unit, accused Vaishnaw of misleading the public by passing off footage of Peru’s railway system as India's Vande Bharat train, which led to a wave of trolling and criticism on social media.

In a series of posts, Gaikwad shared a screen recording of the original video that Vaishnaw had posted and later deleted. Mocking the minister, she wrote, "Since the Reel Minister has deleted his tweet, here is a screen recording of the video he posted earlier. It shows how his department is taking credit for foreign railways' achievements as his own. It is clear they cannot handle the railways well, but it now seems they cannot handle reel making also well! #IndianRailways #ReelMantri."

Gaikwad's criticism focused on a specific part of the video, where she claimed footage of Peru Rail was inaccurately used to represent India’s Vande Bharat train. "Dear Reel Minister, at 00:17 minutes into this video, there are shots of Peru Rail masquerading as the Vande Bharat train," she wrote in another tweet. "This is just an example of how you pass off unrelated footage as your own achievements. Whether services improve or not, the motto is that the reel should look good, isn't it? #Jumla #reels #railway."

After realizing the mistake, Vaishnaw quickly removed the original video and posted a corrected version, which featured only authentic visuals of Indian trains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and passengers celebrating World Tourism Day. However, the damage had already been done, with social media users mocking Vaishnaw, dubbing him the “Reel Minister.”

Social Media Outrage

The social media backlash was swift and sharp, with many users ridiculing Vaishnaw’s blunder. One user commented, "His government wanted to set up fact-checking units. What a joke." Another critic sarcastically wrote, "BJP ministers can't even handle their own reels, so it's no surprise they can't manage their departments either!"

Several users found irony in the fact that Vaishnaw, who is also the Minister of Information & Technology, was being criticized for an error in a promotional video. "It is particularly shameful that the Reel Minister is also the Information & Technology Minister," one user tweeted, adding to the chorus of sarcasm directed at the minister.

Others pointed out Vaishnaw’s past remarks about the opposition. In August, while speaking in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw had criticized the opposition, stating, "We are not the people who make reels, but we do hard work unlike you people who make reels for show off." The recent video blunder has now come back to haunt him, with critics calling him out for the very thing he once condemned.

Political Ramifications

Gaikwad’s attack on Vaishnaw is part of a larger political battle, where members of the opposition have increasingly used social media to target ruling party leaders. By exposing the video mistake, Gaikwad not only highlighted a potential lack of attention to detail within the minister's department but also sought to portray the government as more focused on optics than actual governance.

The Vande Bharat train, a symbol of modern infrastructure and technology in India, has been heavily promoted by the Modi government as a success story. However, this incident has put a spotlight on the government's communication strategy, with opponents accusing it of prioritizing public relations over tangible results.

Despite the social media uproar, Vaishnaw has not responded directly to the criticism beyond removing the problematic video. The revised version now celebrates India’s achievements, but the episode has left many questioning the government's handling of its promotional content.

In the world of politics, especially in the digital age, even a small mistake can quickly escalate into a major controversy. For now, the opposition, led by Gaikwad, continues to use the incident as a tool to criticize Vaishnaw and the BJP, with social media acting as the battlefield.

The video controversy surrounding Ashwini Vaishnaw has turned into a political flashpoint, as Varsha Gaikwad and other critics seize the opportunity to mock the government’s communication blunders. While the corrected video now focuses on India’s achievements, the social media storm continues, raising questions about the intersection of politics, public relations, and accountability.