Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 26: In a U-turn taken after yesterday’s massive protests by the MLAs from all political parties in the Assembly, the State Government today withdrew the green signal for use of red beacons on the official vehicles of the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and the Advocate General of the State, given yesterday.
“The permission to use red beacons on official vehicles for the three has been withdrawn. CS, DGP and Advocate General cannot use the red beacons,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mir Saifullah said in the Assembly responding to the issue raised by NPP legislator and former Minister Harshdev Singh.
The Minister contended that the issue was important and Cabinet had taken a decision as per the Supreme Court order last year which limited the use of red beacons to high dignitaries holding Constitutional posts.
Justifying the arguments of MLAs, Saifullah said: “in the warrant of precedence, Chief Secretary, DGP and Advocate General are below the legislators. MLAs are Constitutional authorities”.
He informed the Assembly about the decision to withdraw the nod for red beacons to the three Government officials.
The State Cabinet had allowed the use of red beacons on the official vehicles of the three dignitaries, but did not extend it to legislators, triggering protests from the members in the Assembly yesterday.
However, Harshdev Singh and CPM MLA MY Tarigami said in the Assembly that a wrong message has gone outside that the MLAs has yesterday protested in the Assembly seeking red beacon lights for them. They added that the protest was not for the lights but maintaining warrant of precedence, which had been violated by permitting the CS, DGP and AG to use the lights, who fall below from the MLAs in the protocol.
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