Bihar CM Nitish Kumar refuses to remove red beacon from his car

Patna, April 20: A day after the NDA government decided to ban red beacons atop the cars of all politicians and bureaucrats, many ministers were seen removing lal battis from their cars on their own.

But Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is still going around with the lal batti on his official car.

Kumar has reportedly refused to do away with the red beacon from his car.

However, his counterparts such as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Odisha Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami were quick to get rid of red beacons from their cars.

Finance Minister Thomas Issac, Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas, Culture Minister A K Balan and Revenue Minister



E Chandrasekheran also removed the beacons fitted on their official vehicles.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisami recalled that late Jayalalithaa had not used the red beacon light as chief minister.

'Amma set an example to others by not using the red beacon light in her vehicles when she was chief minister,' he said.

The Union Cabinet had on Wednesday decided to prohibit all vehicles, except emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire brigade, from using the beacon lights from May 1.

The decision covered the vehicles of President, Prime Minister, state chief ministers and others.

'After May 1, no one will be able to put red light atop his/her vehicle. Blue light will be used only for emergency vehicles in the country...Neither the states nor the Centre will have power to give any special permission (for use of beacon lights),' Finance Minister Arun Jaitely had said.