Why should I remove red beacon before May 1?: K'taka CM

While most of the ministers have already removed the red beacon atop their vehicles following the Centre's ruling, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that he would remove the beacon when the order comes into force on May 1.

"Why should I remove red beacon now? It is to be removed from May 1. I will remove it when the order comes into effect," Siddaramaiah told the media here.

Echoing the same, Karnataka Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra said that the media should not make a hue and cry over the issue.

"It is true that cabinet has taken a decision and in pursuance of the decision, an act is to be amended or execution order is to be done. It is a matter left to the Central Government. Except that cabinet decision has been taken, nothing has been heard from the Central Government. So, unless the order is issued, they should not make an issue of the whole thing. May 1 is the deadline for removing the red beacon. The Press is making a hue and cry. Only after the issue of order this should be insisted, not now," Jayachandra told ANI.

In what could be seen as a major step towards ending the VIP culture, the Central Government, earlier this month, announced that a ban will be imposed on use of red beacon on vehicles attached to dignitaries, including the central and state ministers and other VVIPs.

As per sources, the decision taken by the Union Cabinet will be implemented from May 1.

It is reported that five categories would be exempted from the ban including President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and the Lok Sabha Speaker.

The ban applies to union ministers, chief ministers, state cabinet ministers, bureaucrats and judges of the High Court and Supreme Court.

Following the announcement, chief ministers of various states had removed the red beacons from their cars.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis , Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were among the ones, who removed the flash light from their vehicles after the cabinet's decision.

Uttar Pradesh minister Shrikant Sharma also got the red beacon removed from his car.