‘Thand rakh le thodi’: Haryana top cop OP Singh doubles down on Thar stereotype, cites ‘public verdict’

OP Singh defended his remarks again on Saturday, sharing what he described as “Election result” – a data-style breakdown of public reactions.

Haryana DGP OP Singh has doubled down on his controversial comments about Mahindra Thar drivers, even as a heated debate continues to play out online. Singh had stirred strong reactions last week after saying that people who drive Mahindra Thars are “making a statement” and may even be “crazy”.

DG OP Singh had said Thar SUV owners had a "certain kind of behaviour", linking it with tendency to break the law.(HT File Photos)

The pushback was instant. While some social media users agreed, saying they tend to keep distance from Thars on the road, many owners slammed the generalisation as unfair.

However, Singh defended his remarks again on Saturday, sharing what he described as “Election result” – a data-style breakdown of public reactions.

‘Take it easy, cool off a bit’

Explaining what triggered the discussion in the first place, Singh wrote on X, “In Gurugram I was addressing the press. There were hundreds. When the topic of traffic jam came up, I said that police should not create jams in the name of traffic and safety checking. If checking is necessary, then do it only to those whom people are fed up with.”

He had suggested measures like telling pub owners not to serve drinks to the designated driver among the friends or groups who come in for some downtime.

He added that the debate had unexpectedly snowballed online: “A debate has started on Social Media. So far, twenty lakh horns have gotten tangled.”

Singh also shared his team’s assessment of the public response, saying it showed overwhelming support for his view:

• “90 said the point is absolutely right.”
• “5 were neutral.”
• “3 jumped on those whose social media teams thought the topic was trending, so they could ride the wave.”
• “2 got angry as per their habit.”
• “To them, my loving message is: ‘Brother, we are Haryanvi folks. Let's just keep it new and fresh. Take it easy, cool off a bit.’”

What exactly did OP Singh say about Thar?

At the earlier press conference, Singh had linked the choice of vehicle to behaviour on the road. “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 said.

He also cited a specific case involving the son of an assistant commissioner of police. “The son of an assistant commissioner of police ran over someone while driving a Thar. He wants his son freed, and we asked him whose name the car is registered in. It’s in his name... so he is the rogue element.”

Soon after the debate spread online, Thar owners said they are unfairly targeted. According to an earlier HT report, many Thar owners believe they are routinely singled out by the police. They argue that officers stop their vehicles more often than cars with tinted windows or high-intensity headlights.