Pune: An advertisement by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways promoting road safety and airbags for rear seat passengers in cars came under fire from Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday for alleged promotion of dowry.
In the advertisement, actor Akshay Kumar is seen admonishing the father of a bride for not caring about safety and sending her and her husband in a car with just two airbags for front seat passengers.
Kumar cautions him about an accident and the advertisement moves on to the couple then travelling in a car having six airbags, including for rear seat passengers.
“This is such a problematic advertisement. Who passes such creatives? Is the government spending money to promote the safety aspect of a car or promoting the evil & criminal act of dowry through this ad?” Shiv Sena MP Chaturvedi tweeted.
The issue of six airbags, including for rear seat passengers, took centre stage in the car safety debate after the death of industrialist Cyrus Mistry in an accident in Maharashtra’s Palghar on September 4.
Among those batting for six airbags in cars is Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
