New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre about the rules governing display of the national emblem instead of registration numbers on cars of constitutional authorities.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar asked the Centre to respond to a plea that sought to enforce display of registration numbers on VVIPs' cars by February 26.

The Central government had sought further time to file an affidavit on the issue.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Nyayabhoomi, which stated that the practice of replacing the registration numbers with the national emblem -- three lion heads adapted from the Lion Capital carved on an Ashokan pillar at Sarnath in modern-day Uttar Pradesh -- is both arbitrary and symptomatic of the desire to rule rather than to serve.

The plea said the practice makes the VVIP cars conspicuous and thus the dignitaries become easy targets for terrorists and anyone with malicious intent.

If a person met with an accident involving such vehicles, he cannot bring any claim against the erring persons due to absence of any identification mark, it added.