‘Naam hi kaafi hai’: Karni Sena member avoids toll tax after showing ID - Video

A purported video doing the rounds on social media shows a 'Karni Sena' worker - a term loosely used to describe multiple Rajput outfits - displaying his ID card associated with the social organisation and being exempted from paying the toll tax. The location of the video - which Mint couldn't verify independently, remains unknown. The caption of the now-viral video reads: “A goon from Karni Sena shows his Karni Sena ID Card and gets exempted from paying toll tax on a National Highway”.

In the clip, the man sitting in the backseat of the car initially shows his official Karni Sena ID to the camera, then hands it over to the man behind the wheel. The man shows it to the toll tax official, who allows the car to leave without paying. However, some in the comment section have raised doubts about whether the video was intentionally made just to gain fame, as the driver could have also used FasTag - a prepaid tag that allows you to pay tolls electronically while driving. A text overlay in Hindi reads: “Naam hi kaafi hai.” (The name is enough)—a phrase often implying pride, power, or recognition.

Here's how social media users reacted:

A user wrote: "Not at all, they are a dedicated workforce for the Karni Sena, a highly acclaimed social organisation!! They must be exempted from taxes as well, given VIP passes at every public place—toll is just a minimalistic thing.

They work for the welfare of society.They are the law, not otherwise. So chill, the toll guy just did the same as when we see the milk boiling and just coming out of the pan!! Prevention is better than confrontation."

Another wrote: "I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this—using a Karni Sena ID to skip toll tax? I read that the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, only exempt specific categories like ambulances and defense forces, so this feels like a blatant misuse of power. I remember learning that Karni Sena often gets political backing—Rajputs influence elections in Rajasthan, after all—but according to me, this kind of privilege just widens the gap between the powerful and the common man. Toll taxes shouldn’t be optional for some while the rest of us pay up! What do you all think—how can we ensure fairness on our highways?"

A third user said: "Looks like a nice reel. Else who would record this whole scene and publish it... What a joke."

Another said: "Must have used FasTag."

A fifth user wrote: “VIP treatment?”

What is Karni Sena?

The term Karni Sena is now commonly used to refer to various Rajput groups with similar names, active across several North Indian states - especially those that witnessed protests during the release of Padmaavat. Among them, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) is considered the oldest, having been formed in 2006.

There is, however, a dispute over its origins. Both Lokendra Singh Kalvi, a politician with limited electoral success, and Ajit Singh Mamdoli, a builder by profession, claim to have founded SRKS. Mamdoli asserts that he started the group and later invited Kalvi to join. Kalvi, on the other hand, maintains that he was a co-founder from the beginning. He refers to himself as the Founder-Patron of SRKS, while Mamdoli insists that Kalvi only held the role of Chief Patron.