Kolkata: Just two days after asserting that it was his “right” to use the red beacon, Maulana Noor-ur Rehman Barkati was forced to remove it from two of his vehicles. According to sources, Imam Barkati had said, “No, there was no political pressure on me to remove the red light. How will political parties put pressure on me? I am the Shahi Imam and will follow the law.”

Earlier, he had said, “I am a religious leader and I have been using the red beacon for decades. I do not follow the orders of the Centre. Who are they to order me? In Bengal, only the orders of the state government are effective. I will use the red beacon.”

A police complaint had been filed on Wednesday against Imam Barkati for refusing to abide by the central government’s order against the use of the red beacon atop the vehicles of VIPs.