An Old Photo of Nitin Gadkari Riding Scooter Without Helmet Has Triggered Online Petition

Dinesh Madan, a resident of Delhi, was recently fined a challan worth Rs 23,000 by Gurugram Police for flouting several rules.

His violations? Driving without a license, driving without a registration certificate, driving without a helmet, among others.

If you do not know it already, the Ministry of Law and Justice under the Government of India has recently passed new Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019. In layman terms, traffic violators, in most cases, will now have to pay steeper fines than ever before.

Check the complete list of the revised fines along with the violations here

Since the new rules were put in place, traffic cops all over India, have taken to social media to educate citizens about the importance of following them.

In a tweet posted on September 3 (Tuesday), Maharasthra Police tweeted, "हेल्मेट शिवाय वाहन चालविणे #ThingsWeShouldCancel (Driving without a helmet #ThingsWeShouldCancel)."

While the post was tweeted in a jest to add to their ongoing quirky hashtag #ThingsWeShouldCancel, the Maharashtra Police tweet was used as an opportunity by Twitterati to take shots at a minister for violating traffic rules. The minister in question is the current Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India Nitin Gadkari. Twitter user @RoflGandhi_ quoted the said police's tweet and in a seemingly sarcastic post wrote that the new traffic rules shouldn't be applicable to only ordinary citizens.

The user didn't stop at that and went ahead by starting an online petition for others to join in and to have Nitin Gadkari "penalised" for not wearing a helmet while riding the scooter.

"Current Transport Minister Mr.Nitin Gadkari was seen driving a scooter without helmet. As he is making stricter traffic rules, he must lead by examples and should follow traffic rules himself. Let's ask Maharashtra Police to tissue him a challan for this offence," the petition's description read.

The photo is dated 2014 when it created a social media uproar as Gadkari was seen driving to Sangh building in Mahal in the eastern part of Nagpur to meet Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The implementation of new traffic rules has been best expressed by social media with memes and helmet jokes in particular.

Sachin Tendulkar was right, you folks. "Wear helmet at the back also."