BJP protests against Simha’s arrest; Hunsur back to normal
Mysur: Normalcy returns in Hunsur town, Mysuru district, as the protesters withdraw bandh call given for Monday, condemning the arrest of Mysuru MP Pratap Simha on Sunday.
However, a group of BJP workers, led by Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje staged a protest at Gandhi Chowk in the city on Monday morning, condemning the state government’s decision to impose restrictions on the celebration of Hanuma Jayanti and the arrest of Mysuru MP Pratap Simha.
The agitating BJP workers said that the state government is imposing restrictions on celebrating Hindu religious functions. The Congress government has hurt the sentiments of the Hindus by not allowing the celebrations of Hanuma Jayanti, they alleged.
The protesters expressed their anguish by raising slogans against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
On Sunday, the police took Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha into custody, when he tried to enter the town by driving his car into the barricades at Bilikere near Hunsur in Mysuru district.
Earlier in the day, violence erupted in the town in connection with the procession organised by pro-Hindu organisations to mark Hanuma Jayanti. The police resorted to mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control. The procession was cancelled due to the violence.
Trouble started when the police did not allow entry for the procession on the route chosen by the organisers. As Eid Milad was celebrated on Saturday, the police had identified a specific route for the Hanuma Jayanti procession.
According to the police, the taluk administration had given permission to take out a procession from the Hanuman temple to the Hunsur municipal office. But the organisers decided to take the procession towards Ranganath Layout and also did not begin it on time.So,the police denied permission to take out the procession.
Angered by this, devotees held a protest in front of the Hanuman temple. The organisers changed the route on Sunday morning. The district administration had clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the town from Saturday, except on the identified procession route.
In the meantime, Simha was on his way from Mysuru to Hunsur. The police stopped him near Bilikere on the Mysuru-Hunsur Road, asking him not to head further due to the tense situation. But Simha did not listen to the police.He took the driver’s seat of his official vehicle, hit the barricades and headed towards Hunsur.
However, the police stopped him from entering Hunsur town and took him into custody.
The Bilikere police booked Simha under various sections of the IPC for obstructing policemen from performing their duty, and rash and negligent driving. About 300 others were also taken into custody.