MYSURU: Tension gripped Hunsur town for sometime on Sunday when MP Pratap Simha along with over 100 devotees were taken into preventive custody for allegedly attempting to take out a procession as part of Hanuman Jayanti through a route that was not approved by the police.
Bilikere police booked a criminal case against Pratap Simha for allegedly driving over barricades put up by the police and for rash driving. According to sources, Additional SP Geetha of Chamarajanagar and ASP Krishna Vamshi of Holenarsipur had a miraculous escape when Simha allegedly drove his car recklessly to proceed towards Hunsur.
Sources said he also entered into a heated argument with cops who stopped him near Bilikere, and pulled them up for not letting him proceed towards Hunsur to take part in Hanuman Jayanti.
As he entered Hunsur town, the police stopped his vehicle near D Devarj Urs junction and took him into preventive custody. As news of the arrest spread like wildfire, thousands of people, who had gathered at Manjunathaswamy temple to take out the procession, raised slogans and staged a protest demanding his release. Around 10,000 youths who had congregated near the temple pelted stones damaging dozens of vehicles.
The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob and did not allow the procession sensing further trouble.More than 2,500 policemen were deployed and security was stepped up in Muslim dominated localities and on the Mysuru-Hunsur highway. The police banned vehicular movement and stopped people coming from neighbouring districts. They also took many others into preventive custody and clamped prohibitory orders.
Simha broke law, says Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Reacting to the incident at Hunsur in Mysuru district, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said MP Pratap Simha has broken the law. “He drove his car and slammed it into the police barricade. If an elected representative takes law into his own hands and his followers imitate the same, what will happen to law and order?” he asked. He said it was wrong to use events such as Hanuma Jayanthi for political gains. As Assembly elections are approaching, the BJP is attempting to sow discord among different communities, he said. He asked if BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa approved his party MP crashing his car into a barricade.
BJP to protest today
Bengaluru: BJP Yuva Morcha has called for state-wide protest on Monday against the alleged police excesses on Hanuman devotees and arrest of party MP and Yuva Morcha State President Pratap Simha. “Yuva morcha members would state protest in all districts and burn the effigies of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy in protest against anti-Hindu policy of Siddaramaiah government,” State Yuva Morcha General Secretary Timmesh Gowda said in a statement.