‘Every Indian is a VIP’: PM Modi After ‘Lal Batti’ Ban on Vehicles

Only five categories will now use the red beacon – President, Vice President, PM, CJI and Lok Sabha Speaker.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel’s driver removes the red beacon from the minister’s car in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

In what could help end VVIPs’ ‘lal batti’, no Central government official or minister will be allowed to use red beacon on their cars from May 1.

The ‘lal batti’ will only be allowed for five category of people – the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Lok Sabha Speaker.

The people under the ban’s purview are the Union ministers, chief ministers, state and cabinet minister and the judges of Supreme and High Courts.

This comes after the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab decided against the use of red beacons on their official cars.

In 2015, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had come out in support of Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s plan to considerably bring down the use of red beacons.

Senior lawyer Harish Salve said that he is happy with the decision to ban the red beacons, on CNN-News18.

Every Indian is a VIP- PM Modi

Responding to compliments over the decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “it should have gone a long time ago.”