The streets of Bengaluru saw a rather unusual sight on Wednesday: a man walking around with a placard saying “I’ll vote for change, not for hate”. This was Mohammad Arif Sait, fondly called the “Petrol Uncle,” who provides motorists who have run out of fuel with a bottle of petrol, some water, and perhaps some food too, since 2008.
Just before the city was to go to the polls, he walked in front of the Vidhana Soudha, MG Road, Brigade Road, and Commercial Street with the placard held above his head. Several passersby stopped and interacted with him.
Speaking to DH, the septuagenarian said that this was his way of mobilising his fanbase and spreading a message about voting. “People want change now. There is too much hatred today, but we want that to change. I decided to walk for that.”
For decades, Sait managed his footwear business, Alice Footwear, on MG Road. Now retired, he spends his time raising awareness about important issues via his WhatsApp broadcast list. A video of his walk has
gone viral.