Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh has stirred controversy after calling owners of Thar SUVs and Bullet motorcycles “rogue elements” while speaking about drunk driving and road accidents in Gurugram.
Acknowledging Gurugram’s growing nightlife and club culture, Singh said there was a need for stronger measures to prevent drunk driving and ensure public safety.
“If it’s a Thar, how can we let it go? Or if it’s a Bullet… all rogue elements use these two. The choice of vehicle reflects your mindset,” Singh told mediapersons in Hindi.
He added that some Thar owners perform dangerous stunts on the road. Referring to an incident where the son of an assistant commissioner of police ran over someone while driving a Thar, Singh said, “He wants his son freed, but the car is in his name, so he is the rogue element.”
Singh also said, “If we make a list of cops, how many will have a Thar? And whoever has it, he must be crazy… The Thar is more than a car; it’s a statement. You can’t indulge in hooliganism and then expect not to get caught.”
The remarks came along with a new Haryana Police order that holds bars and restaurants responsible if their customers are caught drunk driving. The order, issued under Section 168 of the Indian Civil Services Code, follows a sharp rise in road accidents caused by intoxicated drivers.
In recent months, 345 people lost their lives and over 580 have been hurt in such incidents across Haryana. The directive asks establishments serving alcohol to keep an eye on customers, arrange cabs or designated drivers for those who are drunk, and put up clear warnings about the risks and legal penalties of drunk driving.
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