BJP MP Pratap Simha Faces Villager Backlash in Karnataka’s Mysuru District

BJP Member of Parliament Pratap Simha encountered opposition from villagers in Karnataka’s Mysuru district on Monday when he was prevented from participating in a ceremony of laying foundation of a temple.

In anticipation of the Ram Mandir pran pratishtha event in Ayodhya, a foundation laying ceremony for a temple took place in Gujjegowdanapura village. A resident of the village, located under Harohalli Panchayat in Mysuru district, had provided a stone block for carving the idol of Ram Lalla by Karnataka sculptor Arun Yogiraj.

The stone block originated from the land of a Dalit farmer named Ramdas H, who had also donated land for the construction of a Ram Temple in the village. The foundation ceremony occurred on Monday.

Pratap Simha, representing Mysuru-Kodagu in the Lok Sabha, was requested by the villagers to leave upon his arrival at the event attended by villagers and elected representatives, including former minister S R Mahesh and local MLA G T Devegowda.

Suresh, a former taluk panchayat member, stated, “You have never visited the village in 10 years, and now, for political reasons, you are here. Other elected representatives, including BJP MLAs, have come here and were involved. You never bothered to listen to us, and we do not want you to come here.”