Who is Pratap Simha to demolish Government-built dome-shaped bus shelters, asks Siddharamaiah
Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha faced backlash from several quarters after he sparked a controversy over his statement on dome-shaped bus shelters. The gumbaz-shaped bus shelters have been erected on Mysuru-Nanjangud road.
Pratap Simha on Sunday triggered a fresh row by saying that he will bulldoze bus shelters in the city that have dome-shaped structures, like a mosque.
“I have seen gumbaz-like structures in bus shelters, one big gumbaz in the middle and two small on both sides of it. It is nothing but a masjid (mosque). The engineers have to remove this type of shelters. Otherwise, I’ll bring JCB and bring them down,” the BJP MP said.
Siddu lashes out at Simha
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Siddharamaiah lashed out at Pratap Simha and said, “Who is he to demolish the structure when it was built under the Government funds. Such people spread hatred in the society with their statements. He shouldn’t have made such statements being an MP,” Siddharamaiah said.
“Such statements are made eyeing the forthcoming elections and to polarise votes. But this will not happen as people are intelligent. The BJP Government engineers are behind it. Pratap Simha is just targeting emotional issues for electoral gains,” the former CM said.
Tanveer Sait reacts
Congress MLA Tanveer Sait told reporters that everyone has a way of seeing things. “One has to understand Pratap Simha’s vision and thinking to see that the domes look like part of a mosque. It is a Government property, we have to wait and see what will be broken down. What do we do if everything looks like a dome? I don’t know who designed that shelter. If he wants to mow down the gumbaz-style bus stop, let us see what all he will mow down.”
What about Palace: C.M. Ibrahim
JD(S) State President C.M. Ibrahim joined the issue and said that if the MP wants to demolish all gumbaz-style structures what would happen to the Mysore Palace.
“What is the relationship between religion and buildings? Will Pratap Simha demolish the Mysore Palace too? Tipu Sultan has given a diamond to Srikanteshwara Temple in Nanjangud, will the MP return it? In fact we must not speak ill about the dead,” Ibrahim reacted.
On the sidelines of the event organised to celebrate the birthday of JD(S) leader Abdul Azeez at a private hall in Mysuru yesterday, Ibrahim said that Islam prohibits any kind of statue. “MLA Tanveer Sait, who is all set to build a 100-ft statue of Tipu Sultan, must understand that Islam prohibits building any kind of statues for idolatry purposes. Tanveer’s father late Azeez Sait was the MLA for Narasimharaja for 30 years. Let Tanveer build a statue of his father,” he said.
Ibrahim said that instead of setting up a statue, the JD(S) will open a University in the name of Tipu Sultan in Mysuru or Kolar.
This post was published on November 16, 2022 6:43 pm