Plea against Pon Radhakrishnan for driving sans helmet

Coimbatore: The Union minister of state for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan has courted controversy after he drove a two-wheeler without a helmet at a vehicle rally in Coimbatore.

Members of the Social Justice Party have petitioned city police on Monday demanding action against the union minister for riding a two-wheeler sans a helmet on Sunday.

Riding without a helmet on is a punishable offence under 129 of Motor Vehicles Act. In the wake of rising accident rates and the Tamil Nadu government has enforced helmet rule for two-wheeler riders from July 1 last year.

On Sunday, Pon Radhakrishnan led a bike rally by riding without a helmet from the BJP office on VKK Menon Road to Uppilipalayam to create awareness on the PM’s visit to Coimbatore. The former MP, CP Radhakrishnan, and other BJP leaders, who too rode without helmets, had accompanied him. 

“They rode for around five kilometers without wearing helmet through arterial roads. A minister, who should be creating awareness on helmet wearing, had himself gone without a head gear,” said N. Panneer Selvam, president of the outfit. 

To press their point, the members of the party came to the commissioner’s office wearing helmets and handed over a petition to the cops.