A bus stop with three domes on top in Karnataka’s Mysuru got an an overnight revamp after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from the state threatened that he will himself demolish the “mosque-like" structure using a JCB if it is not removed in three-four days.
The bus stop on the Kerala Border-Kollegala section of the National Highway-766, which as per BJP MP Pratap Simha looked like a “mosque" with three golden domes now has just a single dome, painted red. The look change happened overnight.
On Saturday, Pratap Simha said he has asked engineers to demolish the “mosque-like" structure which had been constructed by an MLA from his party, claiming that such “Gumbaz-like" structures were being constructed in most parts of Mysuru.
“I’ve seen it on social media. The bus stand has three domes, a big one in the middle and two small ones beside it. That’s a masjid only," an NDTV report quoted Simha as saying.
“I’ve told engineers to demolish the structure in three-four days. If they don’t, I will take a JCB and demolish it," he added.
Giving clarification on the design of the bus stop, local BJP MLA Ram Das, who built the structure, said that the bus shelter “was inspired by the Mysore Palace".
Das, however, later apologised in a letter addressed to local people, saying he had “designed the bus stop keeping in mind the heritage of Mysore". “Differences of opinion arose… That’s why I am getting two domes removed. I’m sorry if anyone’s feelings were hurt," the report quoted lines from the letter.
BJP MP Simha also tweeted again on Sunday after the bus stop structure was redone and thanked Das and the district collector for rectifying the design.
ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲೊಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗುಂಬಜ್, ಅಕ್ಕಪಕ್ಕ ಎರಡು ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಗುಂಬಜ್ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಅದು ಮಸೀದೀನೇ, ಅದನ್ನು ತೆರವು ಮಾಡಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ ಎಂದಿದ್ದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅದರಂತೆ ನಡೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕಾಲಾವಕಾಶ ಕೇಳಿ ಮಾತಿನಂತೆ ನಡೆದುಕೊಂಡ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹಾಗು ವಾಸ್ತವ ಅರಿತು ಜನಾಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ತಲೆಬಾಗಿದ ರಾಮದಾಸ್ ಜಿ ಅವರಿಗೂ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು. pic.twitter.com/9b1wPLULJ4— Pratap Simha (@mepratap) November 27, 2022
“If there is a big dome in the middle and two smaller domes next to each other, it is a mosque. Thanks to the District Collector who asked for time and kept his word and to Ramdas ji who understood the reality and bowed to the referendum," Simha said in the tweet.
Simha had earlier this month also set a four-day deadline for officials to remove the “mosque-like" structure atop the bus stand. That time, Ramdas had indirectly slammed the parliamentarian and clarified that the idea was to build a bus stand designed like the Mysore Palace and not a structure that is inspired by any religion.
ALSO READ: Mysuru BJP MP And MLA on Collision Course over Dome-shaped Bus Shelter
MLA Ramdas had met chief minister Basvaraj Bommai and discussed the whole issue. He had also requested the state government to set up an expert committee to review the design and said if the panel suggested changes he would have no objection.
The BJP MLA had also rubbished all the allegations regarding the contractor being Muslim and filed a complaint with the Mysuru commissioner and urged for an investigation regarding all the fake news circulating on social media related to the bus stand.
Not missing out on an opportunity to attack the BJP over the bus stand row, Congress leaders accused the party of trying to stoke polarisation ahead of the elections.
“He (Simha) must not make such statements. History is what happened in the past and they (BJP) must not try to twist it. Where is it mentioned that a structure should be in a particular shape? They do this for polarisation,” former CM had Siddaramaiah.
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