Google posted the free WiFi on Railway stations. Indian Railways is huge and celebrated as a backbone to the countries transportation. On the other hand FB's Free Basic, broke net-neutrality and partnered with Reliance & Airtel, two companies in India that put people's guards up already.
Google's hotspots simply don't seem like a 'scheme', while FB's offer does.
This is not only true but a bit of an understatement as well. Railways has been treated as a very important part of the whole Indian economy since the time of independence. Isn't it the only department of the Government of India that merits its own, separate union budget? It may not be an exaggeration to say that railways is an integral part of the very fabric of life for a huge cross-section of the population of India.
From this perspective, I'd say offering free wi-fi at railway stations is a brilliant strategic move.