Chandigarh: Thar and Bullet riders may appear or sound toughies, there are some who can be very sensitive about their vehicles.
Or that seems to be case of Sarvo Miter, a Gurugram resident and a Mahindra Thar owner who has shot off a legal notice to Haryana director general of police (DGP) O P Singh, seeking a public apology and withdrawal of his remarks that allegedly presented Thar and Bullet motorcycle owners as having ``criminal mindset’’.
His legal notice was sent on Monday, last.
Speaking on the state of affairs of road safety and traffic violations on November 8 last, according to media reports, Singh had remarked before newspersons that most Thar and Bullet riders have a criminal mindset.
The remark whipped up a discussion on social media, with the Thar and Bullet owners as well as vehicle owners calling it a sweeping generalisation. At the said press conference, Singh was explaining why police often stop Thar and Bullet for checks as these were found to have been frequently associated with the reckless behaviour.
``If it is a Thar, how can we let it go?... All rogue elements use these two. The choice of the vehicles reflects your mindset’’, he was reported to have quipped in the media reports, citing past incidents, including the one in which a senior police officer’s son was involved in a fatal accident while driving a Thar.
Miter, who bought his Thar in January two years ago for over Rs 30 lakh, said he bought this SUV because of its strong build quality, safety features and the performance met his requirement for a dependable vehicle for daily travel.
The notice sent by him says that DGP’s remark was ``mocking, insulting and baseless, causing the complainant embarrassment and stress as friends, relatives and neighbours questioned him after the said video went viral, according to media reports.
The notice further held that the DGP’s words carry significant influence and therefore inflicted ``grave reputational harm’’ on Thar owners. The DGP has been asked to tender an unconditional apology within 15 days.
