MYSURU: Tension prevailed for a while on the Mysuru-Hunsur road on Wednesday as Congress members blocked the busy highway. They also attempted to forcibly enter Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha’s office at Jaladarshini guest house, demanding his arrest for allegedly authorising Parliament passes for the two accused in the Lok Sabha security breach.
The protestors accused that Simha carelessly gave the accused passes to enter the house and create mayhem, and that the BJP MP should be held responsible for what they did inside the Parliament. They demanded that Simha be expelled as an MP.
When the police stopped the protesters from crossing the barricades to enter the MP’s office, the Congress workers blocked the road and staged protests for some time. The blockade stopped the traffic on this busy highway, which is one of the main thoroughfares from Mysuru to Kodagu.
The protestors shouted slogans and demanded that Simha be arrested. Sources said one of the accused in the Parliament breach on Wednesday morning, Manoranjan D, had reportedly introduced his co-accused Sagar Sharma as a friend at Simha’s office and got passes issued to them allegedly on Simha’s authorisation on the pretext of wanting to watch the House proceedings at the new Parliament. Manoranjan is said to have pursued Simha for nearly three months before they were issued passes. Simha’s office has defended him saying that MPs normally entertain requests for passes from people living in their constituencies.