Red Beacons Banned

A Bengal minister today used a lal batti or red beacon on his car, defying a ban on the VIP status symbol ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned red beacons or lal battis across the country, one man says no power can make him drop it. "I have the permission of the British government," says the chief cleric of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan mosque, Noor Ul Barkati.

Defying the Centre's ban on use of red beacons, the Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid, Maulana Noor-ur Rehman Barkati on Thursday said he is not bound by the order and as a religious leader, using it was his "right."

The blanket ban on red and blue beacon cars promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into effect late last night. And the Centre has tried to make sure that nobody - not even the police - can misuse the flashing lights on vehicles that have, for decades, become a glaring symbol of power, and VIP culture in India.

After Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's initial reluctance to do away with the red beacon or lal batti from his official car, in compliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's order, one of his ministers in the Congress government has refused to fall in line with the ban that came into force yesterday.

The decision to get rid of red beacons is aimed at removing the VIP culture from the mindset of certain people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today and added that the concept should be replaced with "EPI", meaning "Every Person is Important".

Days after his government's 'ban without exception' on red beacon cars, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the it was also necessary to remove the entrenched VIP culture from people's minds. Stressing on his message that "Every Indian is special" he said, "New India is not about VIPs, But EPI" -- EPI being 'Every Person is Important'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's order to remove the red beacon or lal batti from cars led to a scramble among Union Ministers and Chief Ministers to comply but the message has taken a week to reach Congress-ruled Karnataka. If Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had his way, his car would not have shed its lal batti even a second before May 1.

The government has no plans to cut back on security to VIPs, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today, a day after the Centre banned the use of beacon lights atop all vehicles, except emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire brigade. "With regard to security, it is necessary in the interest of the country because important people have to be pr...

The Congress on Wednesday welcomed the government's decision of barring the use of red beacons atop vehicles, including that of the Prime Minister, but termed as "laughable" the ruling BJP's attempt to blow the trumpet of morality over it.

Following the announcement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that lal batti or red beacons will be banned for everybody including the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar have both removed red beacon light from their official cars today.

Every Indian is a VIP and the culture of beacon should have gone long ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said tonight, hours after deciding to bar their use by the VVIPs, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers.

From next month, lal batti or red beacons will be banned for everybody including the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. "There will be no exceptions," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today, announcing after a cabinet meeting that only emergency vehicles like fire engines, ambulances and police vans can have beacons.

Punjab got rid of them. But Uttar Pradesh will have to live with the laal battis, the red beacons atop cars that are considered the ultimate status symbol. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided against making the state's ministers give up the red beacons on their cars but asked them to give up the hooters and sirens.

Captain Amarinder Singh, the new Chief Minister of Punjab, is a man on a mission. Intent on reviving Congress's fortune, the 75-year-old politician banned the use of red beacons or 'lal battis' from all government vehicles, including his own.

A Bengal minister today used a lal batti or red beacon on his car, defying a ban on the VIP status symbol ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned red beacons or lal battis across the country, one man says no power can make him drop it. "I have the permission of the British government," says the chief cleric of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan mosque, Noor Ul Barkati.

Defying the Centre's ban on use of red beacons, the Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid, Maulana Noor-ur Rehman Barkati on Thursday said he is not bound by the order and as a religious leader, using it was his "right."

The blanket ban on red and blue beacon cars promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into effect late last night. And the Centre has tried to make sure that nobody - not even the police - can misuse the flashing lights on vehicles that have, for decades, become a glaring symbol of power, and VIP culture in India.

After Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's initial reluctance to do away with the red beacon or lal batti from his official car, in compliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's order, one of his ministers in the Congress government has refused to fall in line with the ban that came into force yesterday.

The decision to get rid of red beacons is aimed at removing the VIP culture from the mindset of certain people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today and added that the concept should be replaced with "EPI", meaning "Every Person is Important".

Days after his government's 'ban without exception' on red beacon cars, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the it was also necessary to remove the entrenched VIP culture from people's minds. Stressing on his message that "Every Indian is special" he said, "New India is not about VIPs, But EPI" -- EPI being 'Every Person is Important'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's order to remove the red beacon or lal batti from cars led to a scramble among Union Ministers and Chief Ministers to comply but the message has taken a week to reach Congress-ruled Karnataka. If Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had his way, his car would not have shed its lal batti even a second before May 1.

The government has no plans to cut back on security to VIPs, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today, a day after the Centre banned the use of beacon lights atop all vehicles, except emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire brigade. "With regard to security, it is necessary in the interest of the country because important people have to be pr...

The Congress on Wednesday welcomed the government's decision of barring the use of red beacons atop vehicles, including that of the Prime Minister, but termed as "laughable" the ruling BJP's attempt to blow the trumpet of morality over it.

Following the announcement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that lal batti or red beacons will be banned for everybody including the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar have both removed red beacon light from their official cars today.

Every Indian is a VIP and the culture of beacon should have gone long ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said tonight, hours after deciding to bar their use by the VVIPs, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers.

From next month, lal batti or red beacons will be banned for everybody including the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. "There will be no exceptions," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today, announcing after a cabinet meeting that only emergency vehicles like fire engines, ambulances and police vans can have beacons.

Punjab got rid of them. But Uttar Pradesh will have to live with the laal battis, the red beacons atop cars that are considered the ultimate status symbol. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided against making the state's ministers give up the red beacons on their cars but asked them to give up the hooters and sirens.

Captain Amarinder Singh, the new Chief Minister of Punjab, is a man on a mission. Intent on reviving Congress's fortune, the 75-year-old politician banned the use of red beacons or 'lal battis' from all government vehicles, including his own.