Mysore/Mysuru: Following the security breach at New Parliament House in New Delhi yesterday, Mysuru City and District Congress Committee workers staged a flash protest in city yesterday against Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simmha.

They staged the protest in front of the main gate of Jaladarshini Guest House on Hunsur Road, where Simmha’s Office is also located as two suspects — D. Manorajan and Sagar Sharma — among the five arrested by the Delhi Police for creating a ruckus at the Parliament, by spraying smoke canisters, were issued visitors passes to the Gallery of Lok Sabha Chamber from MP  Simmha’s Office in the city.

Earlier, the Congress protesters, who raised slogans against Simmha, also made a vain bid to lay siege to his Office, by jumping over the barricades erected in front of the main gate. They also demanded the Police to conduct spot mahazar at his Office and keep Simmha under suspension in Lok Sabha. Demanding the immediate arrest of MP Simmha, the Congress leaders and workers, who insisted the Police to allow them to lock the office of the latter, also made a bid to jump over the compound wall of Jaladarshini Guest House.

When the Police personnel thwarted all their attempts to get inside the Guest House premises, the irked Mysuru District Rural Congress Committee President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar, City Congress President R. Murthy, former Mayor Ayub Khan and Congress leader M. Pradeep Kumar entered into a wordy duel with the Police. Following this, tense situation prevailed for more than one hour, as the aggrieved protesters staged a road block by sleeping in the middle of Hunsur Road, bringing the traffic into a screeching halt.

Speaking on the occasion, KPCC Spokesperson M. Lakshmana said: “Manoranjan, one of the suspects in the case of security breach at LS was formerly associated with BJP IT Cell. He had hatched the plot at the MP’s Office on Dec. 7, 2023. Hence spot mahazar should be conducted at MP’s Office and CCTV footages and documents should be verified.”

“It is a conspiracy ahead of forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Had a Muslim youth been involved in the case, they would have created an uproar. Neither of the suspects arrested by the Police are dalits, but they have raised ‘Jai Bheem’ slogan, which again seems to be a conspiracy.  Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe has to be conducted in all these angles. MP Pratap Simmha should be sacked from the Parliament,” urged Lakshman.

Rural Congress Committee President Dr. Vijaykumar recalled the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he wouldn’t allow even an ant to sneak inside the Parliament, which has become false with the security breach.

Former Mayors T.B. Chikkanna, Pushpalatha Chikkanna and Modamani, former Corporator H.S. Nandeesh Preetham, leaders Bhaskar, Basavanna, Eshwar Chakkadi, Dairy Venkatesh, Mahesh, Youth Congress Office-bearers and hundreds of party workers took part in the protest.