Decision to remove red beacon is a joke: Tathagat

Senior BJD MP Tathagat Satpathy today termed the Union Cabinet's decision to remove red beacons from VVIP vehicles as a "joke" even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik dumped the "status symbol" last evening.
"The decision to remove Red Beacon is a joke. If serious, let the government remove all A to Z category security," tweeted Satpathy, who is also the whip of BJD parliamentary party whip in Lok Sabha.
"When blocking of traffic stops, the system of pilot and trailing cars is discontinued, the real VIP culture will start crumbling. Till then, this a cosmic show," he added.
"Let us stop fooling people. India has had enough. What about education, health, Swachh Bharat cess money? Where is all that going?" Satpathy added in another tweet.

The BJD MP later told reporters that crores of rupees are being spent on the security of politicians.
Satpathy's views came at a time when political leaders, cutting across parties, have welcomed the Union government's decision to remove the red lights from the vehicles of all VVIPs from May 1.