Indian Minister: SUV Drivers Should Be Considered Criminals

SUVs and large vehicles aren't exactly appropriate for the current economic climate, but India's environment and forests minister, Jairam Ramesh is even harsher than that. Speaking in New Delhi, Ramesh emphasized that SUVs do no good to the environment and, besides underlining that all such vehicles should be banned from India's roads, he also mentioned that the act of driving an SUV should be labeled as criminal.

What's more interesting is that Ramesh even had some names in his mind when talking about SUVs and pointed the finger at the German industry that has already rolled out several SUVs sold all over the world, including India.

Obviously, the German authorities were quick to react, but did in a more delicate way than expected, obviously emphasizing the country's efforts into improving mileage and cutting emissions.

"It is very difficult to imagine that Mr Jairam Ramesh, minister of environment & forests has made such specific comments on fuel technology with reference to German Automotive Manufacturers," German Ambassador Thomas Matussek said in a statement according to indiatimes.com.

"The German industry is also proud to have some of the most sustainable car companies in the world who have pioneered CO2 emission cuts and have next generation fuel efficiency standards in engines," he added.

Of course, there's a lot of talking to go on this subject, but most of you would surely agree that even if SUVs aren't exactly the type of cars appropriate for three-huggers or environmentalists, banning them isn't exactly the best way to deal with the problem. And of course, such a decision is almost impossible, but more reactions are likely to emerge in the future so we'll keep you posted.