It's Snehal Ambekar Vs Devendra Amberkar over vehicles with red-beacon

In the wake of a controversy over newly-elected mayor Snehal Ambekar refusing to give up using a red beacon-fitted vehicle, opposition leader in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Devendra Amberkar has warned to take up the matter legally highlighting the contempt of Supreme Court (SC) order in this regard.

In December 2013, SC had banned use of red beacon-fitted vehicles by persons except those occupying constitutional posts. Subsequently, the state cabinet had on April 4, 2014, issued a government resolution (GR) limiting the number of dignitaries to be allowed to use vehicles with red beacons on top.

According to the GR, VIPs including only the chief minister, his/her deputy and principal secretaries will be allowed to use red beacon-fitted vehicles. The resolution, however, excluded mayors from the list.

Left sulking by the move, the then mayor Sunil Prabhu chose to defy the order, saying he held a legislative post and it was his right to use a red beacon-fitted vehicle as Mumbai's first citizen. Prabhu used the vehicle until the end of his tenure on September 8. Now, Ambekar, who replaced Prabhu on Tuesday, has also decided to follow suit, inviting criticism from the opposition parties.

"There is an SC order in this regard. And, there is this government resolution too. Why the mayor wants to defy the order can't be understood. If she is not going to pay heed to the SC order, then it invites contempt of the apex court. She must give up using the red beacon-fitted vehicle or else we will have to knock the door of the court," said Amberkar, who heads the principal opposition party in the civic House – Congress.

The mayor, however, has refused to entertain the demand. She said her predecessor has already raised the issue with the Prithviraj Chavan-led government, which should consider the demands.

"The mayor's post is equivalent to that of a minister of state. I represent this city and Asia's richest civic body. Recently, the government itself rated BMC as A+ category corporation. Thus, the government must allow the mayor to use a red beacon-fitted vehicle. So, let Amberkar do what he wants," Ambekar exhorted.

Earlier this month, the government reclassified 26 civic bodies, on a scale between A and D, on the grounds of Census 2011 and per capita income. The BMC is the lone corporation in Maharashtra recognised as A+ local governing agency.