WATCH: Pune-Based Influencer Asks Gopichand Padalkar About HSRP Number Plate; BJP MLA Replies, ‘Where Is Your Helmet?’
· Free Press Journal
Pune: A viral video has raised questions over the number plate of a vehicle used by BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar. Pune-based social media influencer Santosh Pandit is seen confronting Padalkar over an alleged lack of a High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP). The confrontation took place as Padalkar was attending the BJP Maharashtra state executive meeting in Pune on Monday.
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
Pandit followed the MLA's convoy and questioned him about the registration plate displayed on one of the vehicles. In the video, Pandit points to a vehicle displaying registration number MH 10 ED 007 and asks Padalkar why it does not have an HSRP. Padalkar responds that it is a "Marathi number plate". Pandit then questions whether being a Marathi number plate exempts the vehicle from HSRP rules.
No HSRP, no seatbelt — another "VIP" breaking traffic rules with impunity. Traffic police, take strict action. & watch how he reacts the moment a common citizen dares to question him.@Dev_Fadnavis @DGPMaharashtra @MTPHereToHelp @HSPMaharashtra@Jayant_R_Patil @fpjindia pic.twitter.com/9egrNLRkP4
— Sachin R.Gaikwad (@gaikwadsr123) August 31, 2026
'You are an MLA, yet there is no HSRP’
Pandit can be heard repeatedly asking Padalkar about the plate. "Sir, the car doesn't have an HSRP number plate, and you are an MLA," Pandit says in the video. He then asks Padalkar whether HSRP rules apply to the vehicle.
Pandit also tells the MLA that if he wants registration plates to be in Marathi, he should ask the government to allow such plates across Maharashtra. He then asks Padalkar for his opinion on whether the vehicle should have an HSRP. Padalkar asks Pandit to stop recording so they can talk. Pandit refuses to stop filming. He says elected representatives should also follow the same rules that apply to ordinary citizens.
‘Went To Steal Cables’: Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Probe After 2 Die Inside BSNL Duct In NigdiPadalkar questions influencer over helmet
The argument then turns to other traffic rules. Padalkar asks Pandit where his helmet is and points out that traffic rules also require riders to wear helmets. Pandit responds by questioning whether politicians and ordinary citizens are treated equally when traffic rules are enforced.
He also alleges that Padalkar was not wearing a seatbelt and claims the driver was also not wearing one. "If common citizens don't wear seatbelts, they get fined. If they don't have HSRP number plates, they get fined," Pandit says in the video. He then asks why the same rules should not apply to politicians. Pandit also questions why he should stop recording when he is raising a matter concerning traffic rules.
The video surfaced in connection with the BJP Maharashtra state executive meeting held in Pune on Monday. Padalkar, who represents the Jat Assembly constituency in Sangli district, was among the BJP leaders attending the meeting. The meeting was held at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch in Swargate. It was the first state executive meeting of the Maharashtra BJP under state president Ravindra Chavan. The gathering was attended by senior BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with MLAs, MPs and other party functionaries.
Pune SIR Draft Roll: 28.66 Lakh Voters Missing As Electorate Falls 31.6%; Claims & Objections Open Till September 30What are the HSRP rules?
HSRP is a standardised registration plate system introduced to prevent tampering and duplication of vehicle number plates. Maharashtra has required vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, to be fitted with HSRPs. The deadline for installing the plates was extended several times and was eventually extended to Dec 31, 2025.
A customised or fancy registration number is different from a customised physical number plate. Vehicle owners can have a choice or fancy registration number, but the physical plate must still follow the prescribed format and security requirements.
The issue raised in the video is therefore not simply about the number 007. It is about whether the physical plate displayed on the vehicle complies with the prescribed HSRP and registration plate rules.
New Car, Big Traffic Jam! Group Films Reels On Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway In Pune, Lands In Police Case | WATCHSimilar questions were raised earlier
The controversy also comes months after similar questions were raised about a vehicle associated with Padalkar. A report in March 2026 had raised concerns over a fancy number plate displayed on a vehicle used by the MLA and alleged that it did not have an HSRP.
The latest video has now brought the issue back into public attention. However, there is no confirmation in the material available that Padalkar has been fined or that police have registered a case against him over the latest incident.
Padalkar has also not given a detailed explanation in the video about whether the vehicle has an HSRP. His response is limited to saying that it is a Marathi number plate and asking Pandit to stop recording.
The allegations regarding the number plate and seatbelts would therefore need to be independently verified by the traffic police or the Maharashtra Transport Department.