With the red beacon system officially gone, the Supreme Court on Monday focused upon ending the culture of security paraphernalia provided to VIPs as it sought both the Centre and States to provide responses in this regard by August.
The matter relating to ending all symbols of VIP authority came up for hearing before a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy on a day when the Centre’s diktat to take off laal battis from all official vehicles, including those of constitutional functionaries, became operational.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, assisting the apex court in this case, remarked, “The Government has done its needful. There has been a dramatic mindset change in the approach of the Government.” He was referring to the Central Government’s recent decision to do away with red beacons by amending the Motor Vehicles Act. Now, only ambulances, police and fire service are permitted to have blue beacons.
“The red beacon issue is over. Now what about removing security,” the bench asked. Salve submitted that the matter could be heard in August. Till then, he said, “let us see how states react to the order against red beacons.”
It was in December 2013, the Supreme Court struck down on use of red beacons, restricting its use only to official cars used by constitutional functionaries such as President, Prime Minister, Speaker, Chief Justice of India, and Vice President. The Court noted the rampant misuse of red beacons issued by State Governments to all and sundry, thus creating symbols of authority which the Constitution never envisaged.