The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly criticised the Maharashtra government for "burdening citizens with unnecessary expenses under the guise of implementing High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) for vehicles."
The party claims that despite vehicle owners having already paid for number plates at the time of purchase before 2019, the government is now imposing additional charges for the same service.
AAP Pune City President Prashant Kamble stated, "The Mahayuti government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had implemented financially unviable schemes, leading to a financial crisis in Maharashtra. They resorting to extracting money from citizens through various means to fill their empty treasury. If the government truly cared for the people, it should cover the cost of the HSRP number plates from the state budget instead of imposing the burden on vehicle owners."
City President Sudarshan Jagdale added, "Pune alone has around 75 lakh vehicles. The decision has been taken to generate massive revenue only, not for necessity. Goa residents pay only ₹150 for HSRP, whereas Maharashtra vehicle owners are being charged ₹750, indicating the corruption. Why vehicles registered before 2019 should be forced to switch to new number plates when the mandate already applies to new vehicles?"
"Pune traffic police focus more on penalising citizens rather than managing traffic. The government should immediately withdraw the HSRP mandate and stop enforcing policies that financially burden the common people," he added.
Meanwhile, the AAP has warned that if the government does not reverse its decision, a large-scale protest will be launched with public support soon.
