MANGALURU: Minister for food and civil supplies, U T Khader, is in no mood to remove the red beacon from his official car, defying the Centre's ban on red beacons on VIP vehicles, enforced since Monday.
When his attention was drawn to the red beacon on his car on Monday, the minister shot back saying "I am not moving around with the red beacon placed on my head. It is installed on my car.''
Khader also questioned how such a move would help poor people, "Any decision by the government should favour poor people," he said, adding, "It is the State government which has given me this car and I do not have any right to alter it. If instructions to remove the red beacon come from chief minister Siddaramaiah, I will then obey."
Just 24 hours before the ban on red beacons came into effect, district-in-charge and forest minister B Ramanath Rai, who had recently refused to comply unless he received a copy of the order, rid his car of the red beacon Sunday.
Meanwhile police vehicles in Bengaluru were seen sporting the amber colour, though the Centre has said that emergency services, including police, can use only blue beacon lights. Some departments said there was no clarity as they were yet to receive the Centre’s order.