MUMBAI: The BMC on Saturday removed the red and blue flashing lights installed on the official vehicle of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and the escort vehicle accompanying her, following a controversy over their use. The issue first surfaced on social media. On March 11, an X post by the handle “मुंबईचा शिवसैनिक” (@shivsainik007) questioned whether the mayor’s vehicle had permission to install police-style red and blue lights. The post included a picture of the mayor’s car showing the lights. The matter escalated on March 13 when RTI activist Anil Galgali wrote to the mayor objecting to the use of the lights. In his letter, Galgali said, “It has been noticed that unauthorised use of red and yellow lights is being made on the official vehicle as well as the escort vehicle. As per the instructions issued by the Central Government, the use of such lights has been restricted and is permissible only for specific emergency services. This matter should be taken seriously and necessary action should be taken immediately.” The controversy centred on flashing red and blue lights mounted on the front of the mayor’s official car, as well as an escort Scorpio vehicle fitted with similar police-style lights that was seen accompanying it. The escort vehicle typically carried the mayor’s personal assistants and protocol officer. Responding to the issue, Tawde said she had no interest in using a beacon on her vehicle and described the matter as an administrative lapse. “As mayor, I have no interest in a red beacon car. This is a mistake of the administration. I have also told the BMC commissioner that while providing an official vehicle to the mayor, the administration should have checked what was permissible. What is my mistake? I will use the vehicle provided to me, and if there were rules around it, they should have been followed,” she said, adding that she does not give importance to the criticism raised by the opposition.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, responding to the controversy, said that upon inquiry he found that the red beacon was not mounted on the roof of the vehicle but on the bonnet.“The mayor cannot be blamed for this. Our earlier decision clearly states that no one should use a red beacon, and the mayor is fully aware of this. She is being targeted without reason, which is not right,” he told mediapersons. A civic official confirmed that similar flashing lights had been installed on the vehicles of the mayor, the deputy mayor, and the leader of the house, and that all of them were removed on Saturday. The controversy also triggered political criticism. Leader of the Opposition and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar of the UBT Shiv Sena said the development went against the Centre’s move to end VIP culture. “VIP culture was ended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government, but the Mayor of Mumbai could not resist the allure of VIP culture. Has the mayor become bigger than the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister?” she questioned. The use of such lights on official vehicles has been restricted since May 1, 2017, when the central government prohibited the display of red beacons and other symbols such as name plates, insignia and flags on government or hired vehicles, except for authorised emergency services. Following that decision, the red beacon was removed from the Mumbai mayor’s official vehicle during the tenure of then mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.UBT MLC Milind Narvekar also took to X on the issue where he questioned, “What’s really going on against the newly elected mayor?.”
