Month After Maharashtra Minister's Rapido Sting Operation, Company Becomes Sponsor For Son's Event
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik ordered a crackdown against Rapido in July over 'illegal service'.
Rapido will be sponsoring this year's Pro-Govinda League, a Dahi Handi competition in Mumbai organised by the son of Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. The sponsorship comes just a month after Sarnaik publicly announced action against the bike taxi aggregator for operating in the city 'without permission".
The incident dates back to July 2, when Sarnaik booked a ride using a random name to verify public complaints about unauthorised bike taxi services. Sarnaik personally caught Rapido operating illegally and led a government crackdown on the company.
'I myself used this illegal service despite the government not giving it the nod. Such companies operating without state sanction will be taken strictly to task," he had said.
Following this, his Transport Department launched raids, seizing 78 Rapido bike taxis operating without permission.
'The minister caught the Rapido bike. He got publicity. And then he rapidly changed his position and brokered a sponsorship. It just proves that this government works for itself and not for the public. I want to ask whether this is not a misuse of the ministerial post?" he said.
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