On the day of the first real test for Delhi's odd-even car rationing scheme, a picture of Rajiv Chowk metro station has gone viral. The picture shows an extremely crowded metro station with thousands of commuters scrambling to enter the train. Even by Mumbai local train standards during peak hours, the number of people in the picture was at least 20 times more.

Journalists Rajdeep Sardesai and Pallavi Ghosh tweeted: @sardesairajdeep  Reports from metro at Rajiv Chowk not encouraging.Overcrowding leading to some chaos.Public transport still not ready for odd/even it seems.

‏@_pallavighosh  tweeted :Those who tweeting away the success of odd-even claiming all cool: this is what rajiv chowk stn looking like ."

While Gappistan Radio ‏@GappistanRadio  said, "Rajiv Chowk is the Kumbh Mela of metro users."

The image proved to be a missile in the hands of the critics who used it to target the Delhi government for the shoddy public transport arrangements and pushing people into inconvenience. The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government had described the scheme as a success on the first day - January 1. "Delhi has done it! Reports so far very encouraging. Delhiites! you give me hope that you are capable of achieving big challenges," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had then said.


A few hours later in the day, the Twitter was on course correction.

Arvnd Kejrwal ‏@ArvndKejrwal  tweeted that the pictures from Rajiv Chowk were in fact fake and were taken during Diwali.
"Pics from Rajiv chowk today: Pic 1 As per BJP and congis (captured  on #Diwali)
Pic 2 Reality."

Only cars with an even number registration plates were allowed on roads today, January 4.

The picture was in fact an old 2014 picture tweeted by the Hindustan Times during Diwali. @htTweets "Heavy rush at Delhi's Rajiv Chowk Metro Station on the eve of Diwali. (Photo: Sunil Saxena/Hindustan Times) #ht ."

Shahid Ferozie ‏@saferozie  Shahid Ferozie added, "This photo being shared as Rajiv Chowk metro station Even-Odd driven chaos today is a @Httweets photo from Oct 2014."

This morning, Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues vowed to make the ambitious plan a success. Minister Kapil Mishra tweeted a photo of him travelling to work by bus.

Around 200 traffic challans were issued before noon as Delhis road space rationing scheme faced a big test on Monday, the first full working day after an extended weekend since the implementation of the odd-even campaign on January 1.

While Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra took a bus to the Delhi Secratariat, with the national capital allowing only cars with even-numbered licence plates on the streets, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal car-pooled with Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai and home minister Satyendra Jain to the Delhi Secretariat in Rais Tata Nano.