Remove sirens from INDIA TO HAVE vehicles of VIPS: SC MORE DIPLOMATS

The Supreme Courton Monday asked the Centre and the state store move sirens from vehicles of VIPs as it is in violation of law and indicated that it would pass a direction for preventing mis use of red beacon also, observ-ing that their use was a “reflection of British Raj”, reports PTI. A bench of justices GS Singhvi and VG opala Gowda questioned why these facilities are given to ministers, bureau crats and politicians when PC hidambaram had re-fused to have them when he was the Home Minis-ter. “It is so paradoxical. PC hidambram who was the Home Minister said that he did not need es-cort and siren for his ve-hicle. It was the function-al requirement of Home Minister but he said he did not need anything,” it said. The court refused the plea of the govern-ments seeking four weeks’ more time to put in place rules for pre-- venting their misuse and said that it would pass di-rection. “You are mocking at court’s proceedings. We have given you enough time. Why did you not strikedown notification in violation of Rule 108 of Central Motor Vehi-cles Act. The miffed court went on to say, “People are the masters. They pay taxes and elect their representatives. Why they should not be given red beacon and siren.” “We are intend-ing to strike down notifi-cations. You have to en-sure that all sirens are removed... It is a reflec-tion of the British Raj,” the bench said indicating that all notification of the Centre and states would be quashed as they are in violation of the Act. “Why should we not strikedown notification of the state govern ments for allowing red beacon on vehicles carrying high dignitaries,” the bench observed while pointing out that there are states which have put all Ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats under the category of high digni-taries. It said that only people holding constitu-tional posts be given red beacon and questioned the Centre for giving siren facilities to Supreme Court judges. “We have noticed thou-sand times that vehicles cross the red light when the vehicle is fitted with beacon and siren,” the bench said. The bench was hearing a PILfiled by a Uttar Pradesh resident on mis-use of red beacon. Earli-er, the bench had said that mis use of red bea-con and siren, granted by government to VIPs, is a menace to society and it must be stopped.