Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh has firmly stood by his controversial remarks linking the ownership of Mahindra Thar SUVs to reckless behaviour, even after facing considerable backlash from the online community and vehicle owners. On Saturday, Singh defended his position by sharing a unique, data-style breakdown of the public reaction, which he termed the “Election result.”

The Original Controversy and Context

Last week, during a press interaction in Gurugram, DGP Singh made a generalisation that ignited a heated debate online.While discussing efforts to ease traffic congestion and focus police checks on high-risk elements, he singled out the Thar SUV.

Singh’s Original Statement:

“If it is a Thar, how can we let it go? The choice of vehicle reflects your mindset. People who drive Thar’s perform stunts on the road.” He had previously suggested that Thar owners had a “certain kind of behaviour,” linking it to a tendency to break the law, and even suggested that those who own one must be “crazy.”

He backed this claim by citing a specific recent case in Faridabad involving the son of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, who allegedly ran over a person while driving a Thar. Singh used this to argue that the vehicle itself had become a statement for “rogue elements.”

DGP Singh’s ‘Public Verdict’ Defense

In response to the online firestorm, which he noted had resulted in “twenty lakh horns have gotten tangled” in the debate, Singh took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday to double down on his comments and share what he claimed was an assessment of the public’s sentiment.

Singh’s ‘Election Result’ Breakdown:

Reaction Category	Percentage
Said the point is absolutely right	90%
Were neutral	5%
Jumped on the trend	3%
Got angry as per their habit	2%

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The DGP used these figures to suggest that his initial observation was overwhelmingly supported by the general public.

A Message of Defiance and Calm

Singh concluded his defense with a characteristic Haryanvi appeal to those who were angered by his remarks, effectively asking them to relax and accept the outcome:

“To them, my loving message is: ‘Brother, we are Haryanvi folks. Let’s just keep it new and fresh. Thand rakh le thodi [Take it easy, cool off a bit].’”

The issue highlights a persistent tension between law enforcement’s experience-based profiling of certain vehicles associated with reckless behaviour, and the counter-argument from many Thar owners who feel they are unfairly targeted and stereotyped by police officers simply for the vehicle they choose to drive.