Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on August 16 kicked up a row by riding a motorcycle sans helmets during a 'Tiranga Yatra' in Jaipur. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was seen riding the bike without wearing helmet from Khatipura to Dhankya during the Tiranga Yatra organised by BJP local unit. Union Power minister Piyush Goyal, who was riding pillion, was also seen without a helmet. Both the ministers were wearing turbans in place of the protective head gear. On being asked about their non-adherence to traffic rules at a press conference here, the BJP leaders claimed it was legal to wear turbans and ride two-wheelers. As per the law, a person can wear a turban and sit on a two-wheler, they said. "After a long time, I rode a two-wheeler and it felt nice. I had in the past sat on a two-wheeler during the campaign rally of Nitin Gadkari. I was riding pillion and Gadkari was driving," Goyal said. Union transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari had also landed in a controversy when he was caught on camera entering RSS headquarters in Nagpur in 2014 on his scooter without wearing a helmet in violation of traffic rules. Meanwhile, the city traffic police here said it was mandatory for drivers and pillion riders to wear helmets. A violation of the rule attracts a penalty of Rs 200. The police, however, said they were unaware of the traffic violation by the Union ministers.
