RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka on Tuesday took a dig at Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal over his recent spat with comedian Kunal Kamra. Taking to his official X account, Mr Goenka said he uses his Ola if he has to travel from one 'kamra' (room) to another.
"If I have to travel close distances, I mean from one 'kamra' to another, I use my Ola," he wrote, tagging Mr Aggarwal and a picture of him sitting on an Ola electric vehicle.
If I have to travel close distances, I mean from one ‘kamra' to another, I use my Ola @bhash pic.twitter.com/wujahVCzR1
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) October 8, 2024
His 'kamra' mention was an apparent reference to the surname of the comedian, who last week was engaged in a heated argument with Mr Aggarwal over the situation of Ola service centres.
The argument began when Mr Kamra took to his official X account and posted an image showing a large number of EV scooters being parked at an Ola service centre.
"Do Indian consumers have a voice? Do they deserve this? Two-wheelers are many daily wage workers' lifeline... Anyone who has an issue with Ola Electric leave your story below tagging all...," he wrote.
In another post, he responded to a user who said that Ola has a "pathetic service".
"Worse is the leader has no reply," Mr Kamra said.
His post, however, irked Bhavish Aggarwal, who said that it was a "paid tweet" and asked Mr Kamra to "come and help" them out.
"Since you care so much Kunal Kamra, come and help us out! I'll even pay more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career. Or else sit quiet and let us focus on fixing the issues for the real customers. We're expanding the service network fast and backlogs will be cleared soon," the Ola boss wrote on X.
Since you care so much @kunalkamra88, come and help us out! I'll even pay more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career.
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) October 6, 2024
Or else sit quiet and let us focus on fixing the issues for the real customers. We're expanding service network fast and backlogs… https://t.co/ZQ4nmqjx5q
Mr Kamra then responded to Mr Aggarwal's post.
"Paid tweet, failed comedy career, and sit quietly. Indian businessman at their humble best... If you can prove I am paid for the tweet this or anything else I must've said against private companies, I'll delete all social media and sit quietly forever," he said.
He also tagged a clip of his standup act last year. "On my failed comedy career here's a clip from last year when I surprised an audience... Anything else you arrogant, substandard, prick."
On my failed comedy career here's a clip from last year when I surprised an audience & opened for Grover…
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) October 6, 2024
Anything else you arrogant, substandard, prick @bhash pic.twitter.com/e7bQzVcCrT
Responding to his tweet, Mr Aggarwal again asked Mr Kamra to come to an Ola service centre.
"Chot lagi? Dard hua? (Did it hurt) Aaja (come to) service centre. Bahut kaam hai (We have a lot of work). I will pay better than your flop shows pay you. Show your audience how much you truly care and whether you're only gas," he said.
Kunal Kamra then asked Mr Aggarwal to instead give a "total refund" to anyone who wants to return their Ola EV and who has purchased it in the last four months.
"I don't need your money. People not being able to get to their workplace need your accountability. Show your customers that you truly care," he wrote.
Responding to his post, the Ola CEO said they have "enough programs" for their customers if they face service delays.
We have enough programs for our customers if they face service delays. If you were a genuine one, you would have known.
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) October 6, 2024
Again, don't try and back out of this. Come and do some real work rather than armchair criticism. https://t.co/HFFKgsl7d9
"If you were a genuine one, you would have known. Again, don't try and back out of this. Come and do some real work rather than armchair criticism," he added.
Ola Electric Gets Show Cause Notice
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has issued a show cause notice to Ola Electric for alleged violation of consumer rights, misleading advertisement and unfair trade practices, according to a regulatory filing by the company. The company received the show cause notice by email on October 7, 2024, it said in the filing.
The show cause notice has been issued by the "Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for alleged violation of consumer rights, misleading advertisement and unfair trade practices", it added.
The shares of Ola Electric Mobility on Monday had plunged steeply over 8%, down 43% from its post-listing peak, as complaints about its flagship electric two-wheelers kept flooding social media. It was the third straight session the EV maker declined.
Ola Electric, which made its stock market debut about two months ago, sold 23,965 vehicles in September, recording a month-on-month decline for the second consecutive month.
Its falling month-on-month sales have seen its market share decline for five straight months to 27% in September, from over 50% in April, according to the data.
The drop in sales comes amid scores of Ola Electric's flagship S1 series EV scooters reportedly facing issues like malfunctioning hardware and glitching software.
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