In the last couple of days, a comment made by the Director General of Police (DGP) Haryana has been going viral on the internet. We have seen several people doing stunts in Mahindra Thar on public roads, and we have also seen people recklessly riding Royal Enfield motorcycles. DGP O.P. Singh, while referring to such incidents, told the media that people who drive Mahindra Thar SUVs or ride Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles are often “rogue elements.” This stirred up a controversy online, and now Bollywood actress and model Gul Panag has come forward in support of Mahindra Thar and Royal Enfield Bullet owners.
The actress posted images of her standing with a Mahindra Thar and her Royal Enfield Bullet on social media and wrote, “I drive a Thar. I ride a Royal Enfield.
In fact, several women in my family ride the Royal Enfield Bullet and drive Thars, across generations.
Anecdotal generalisations don’t help strengthen road safety. Thar and Bullet are iconic Indian brands admired for their capability and style, and disparaging them serves no purpose. As someone who drives a Thar and rides a Bullet, I’m not slighted; I’ve never believed in judging a book by its cover. What truly makes laws effective is not stereotyping citizens, but ensuring a law-enforcement mechanism that inspires both respect for the law and a healthy fear of consequences. That is where our focus should be.”
It was clear that the post was against the statement made by the Haryana DGP O.P. Singh. In the press meet, while making the statement, the officer simply gave the tag of “rogue elements” to all the people who own Mahindra Thar and Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. While we understand that there have been instances where Mahindra Thar owners have behaved irresponsibly and become a nuisance on the road, it is not applicable to all.
He even went ahead and told reporters that the kind of vehicle you choose shows the mentality of the person. He also said that police officers don’t stop every vehicle during routine checks. However, if they spot a Mahindra Thar or a Royal Enfield Bullet, they will stop them as it attracts the attention of the cops.
This is actually not the right kind of attitude to have when you are on duty. By making such comments publicly in front of the media, the DGP is not sending a good message to the public. Ever since this comment was made, we have started seeing videos on social media platforms where Thar owners are stopped by the cops despite following the rules.
In fact, the choice of vehicle is not the problem. It is actually the mentality of some of the people who drive it that is painting this image. Instead of generalising, we hope the officers on duty focus on ensuring that people are following the rules without fail.
The Mahindra Thar is an iconic Indian SUV known for its rugged looks and off-road capabilities. The SUV was once one of the most affordable 4x4 SUVs in the country. It is available with two diesel and one petrol engine option. The Royal Enfield Bullet is often considered the dream bike by many. Many even prefer it for road trips too.