New Delhi, July 18: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the government to ensure the vehicles used by the President, Vice President, Governors, Lieutenant Governors and other top constitutional authorities feature the registration number plates.

The court's order came while hearing a petition filed by an NGO Nyayabhoomi, which said the use of State Emblem instead of number plates was contrary to the principles of equality in a democracy.

"The practice of replacing the registration mark with the State Emblem of India, instead of displaying them both, is arbitrary and symptomatic of the desire to rule rather than to serve," said the petition, moved in March this year.

In backdrop of the petition, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had already sent an official note of communication to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Vice President's Secretariat, Raj Niwas and the Ministry of External Affairs, urging the registration of all official vehicles at the earliest.

Rajesh Agrawal, the secretary of NGO Nyayabhoomi, said the lack of registration number on official vehicles could be perceived by a common citizen as "disobedience" by those who have committed to protect the law.

Apart from calling the move arbitrary and unethical, the petitioner said the use of State Emblems also makes the officials travelling in their cars vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2018 05:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).