New Delhi: While three years ago, the Centre said that it was trying to do away with the ‘lal batti’ or VIP culture by banning the use of red beacon lights by politicians, bureaucrats and judges, and restricting the use of other beacons for essential services, the Haryana government has decided to revamp the same culture. It has created special maroon flags for all the legislators so that their vehicles stand out in the crowd.Launching the special flags for the MLAs, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said legislators would be able to use these special flags on vehicles which are registered in their name. In case a legislator does not have a vehicle of his own, he would be entitled to using it on personal or rented vehicles alone. The validity of the flag will be up to the end of the term of the House or the membership of the legislator.Haryana’s assembly speaker defended the move, saying it is not aimed at promoting ‘VIP culture’ but was intended to provide a “distinct identity” to the MLAs. He said the position of elected persons should be acknowledged, especially since as according to protocol, a legislator is above the rank of chief secretary.His office had been approached by legislators of all parties seeking some special identification so that their vehicles may be easily identifiable from a distance. They had pointed out that when there were distinct flags on the vehicles of chief secretaries and even deputy commissioners, why there was no such provision for them.While all MLAs are issued stickers by the assembly, which they can put up on the windscreens of their vehicles, the legislators complained that these can be identified only from a close range and their validity also needs to be verified.MLAs claimed they were facing problemsMost legislators had complained that they were facing problems at toll booths – where their vehicles are exempted from payments – as the staff tends to stop them for identification. Some of them had complained that often, their identity cards are not recognised and even the police stop them at the pickets.While the scheme has been devised to provide seamless travel to the legislators, it also comes with a few riders.If the legislators are not present in the vehicle, the flags would have to be covered. The making of similar flags without authorisation or use of flags by unauthorised persons would be punishable under the law.Local media reported that MLAs of all parties defended the scheme. BJP MLA Laxman Singh Yadav said that the flags will save time for the legislators. Devinder Babli of Jannayak Janata Party, a partner in the government, said MLAs were earlier facing difficulties in adhering to the protocol.Incidentally, this scheme runs contrary to the ban on red beacons which came into force on May 1, 2017 and was intended to end the ‘VIP culture’. That ban applied to vehicles of all Union ministers, chief ministers, state cabinet ministers, bureaucrats and judges of the high court and Supreme Court. It even covered the offices of the president, prime minister and the chief justice of India.The only exemption made was for ambulances and fire services, police and army vehicles, which were allowed to use blue flashing beacons to cut through traffic.When the ban on red beacon lights, which were seen as the ultimate status symbol, was ushered in, Union minister Nitin Gadkari termed it a historic decision. He said the lights “tied us back to colonial legacy”. He added that “with ‘lal batti’ removal, PM Narendra Modi’s vision of new India took a step forward.”Even before their ban, several Union ministers and chief ministers had discarded the use of these lights on their official vehicles.Even the Congress had hailed the move, saying the BJP government was finally trying to catch up with its “progressive policies”.Earlier, the Supreme Court had in December 2013 issued directions on which vehicles could use red beacons. It had termed the use of these lights on top of the cars of ministers and bureaucrats “ridiculous and synonymous with power”.Seven years on, the message appears to have been forgotten to some extent – at least in Haryana.