For 7 Days, No Fine For Traffic Violations In This State. Because Diwali

New Delhi:

Listing it among Diwali festivities, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi has announced that no fine will be levied for traffic rule violations in the state from October 21 to 27. He said it’s “one more pro-people decision” by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

It comes ahead of elections due by the end of the year, in which the BJP hopes to retain its decades of hold on the state.  

“Don’t use the decision to break the law,” the minister said in a video he tweeted with the announcement, in Gujarati. “If someone breaks the rules, the Gujarat police will persuade them not to, by giving flowers.”

આગામી તારીખ 27 ઓક્ટોબર સુધી જનતા પાસેથી કોઈ પ્રકારનો ટ્રાફિક દંડ નહીં વસૂલ કરવાનો નિર્ણય કરવામાં આવ્યો છે.

નિર્ણય પ્રજા હિતમાં લેવાયો હોય જેનો ઉપયોગ કાયદાનો ભંગ કરવા માટે નહીં જો કોઈથી નિયમભંગ થાય તો ગુજરાત પોલીસ ફૂલ આપી નિયમભંગ ન કરવા સમજાવશે.

— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) October 21, 2022

“Diwali is the festival of lights… and comes with the colours of rangoli, lots of sweets, and the excitement of lamps and crackers,” he tweeted.

“Pro-people decision” by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is how the minister described it.

“On this occasion, this is one more pro-people decision of Bhupendra Patel ji,” Mr Sanghavi added.

In reaction, while many people on Twitter welcomed the move — saying it’d encourage people to follow rules voluntarily — there were many who said it’d lead to worsening of the traffic mess in cities.

“Stand and watch the traffic at a traffic signal someday,” one suggested to the minister. “This decision is unfair. No one will fear the law. As a result, accident rate will increase,” posted another.