If you are driving around Kolkata, you’ll need to be extra cautious about what’s on your car, as the Kolkata Police have issued a strict warning to vehicle owners about offensive and derogatory messages displayed on their cars.
Even though the car stickers are meant to be humorous, they might offend someone. Thus, this action ensures that no vehicle is used as a platform for harmful, discriminatory, or demeaning messages.
What’s the Issue?
Recently, Kolkata Police shared a warning on social media about stickers on vehicles that can be offensive. The police showed an example of a sticker on a Hyundai car with the message: “Believe a snake, not a girl.”
This sticker is derogatory and offensive, particularly towards women. Furthermore, the police clarified that such messages could not only violate traffic rules but also lead to legal trouble under defamation laws.
According to the Motor Vehicles Act, you can’t display any messages, stickers, or writings considered as derogatory or harmful on your vehicle. Moreover, Section 179 (1) of the Motor Vehicles Act forbids caste and religion-specific stickers and writings on vehicles. The aim is to avoid any form of discrimination or hatred.
Under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 356(i) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), anyone found guilty of defamation through offensive stickers could face legal action. Now, this means that if a sticker on your car hurts someone’s sentiments or relates to caste, creed, or gender in any way, you could be looking at a defamation case.
Enforcement and Response
Kolkata Police have instructed vehicle owners to remove any offensive stickers to avoid facing legal trouble. For example, the police asked the owner of the Hyundai car with the controversial sticker to remove it. The approach by Kolkata Police is similar to steps taken by the Uttar Pradesh Police last year.
In Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad, car owners faced fines of Rs 1,000 for displaying caste and religious symbols on their vehicles. Also, this highlights a trend of cracking down on such practices across India.
