Opposition latches on to Karnataka BJP MP's remark on 'dome-shaped' bus shelters

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha's statements over dome-like structures on bus shelters have prompted backlash from Congress MLA TAnveer Sait and netizens alike.

The Karnataka unit of BJP faced backlash from several quarters after Mysuru MP Pratap Simha sparked a controversy over his statement on dome-shaped bus shelters. Simha on Sunday triggered a fresh row by saying that he will bulldoze bus shelters in the city that have dome-shaped structures, like a mosque. "I have seen gumbaz-like structures in bus shelters, one big gumbaz in the middle and two small on both sides of it. It is nothing but a masjid (mosque). The engineers have to remove this type of shelters. Otherwise, I'll bring JCB and bring them down," the BJP MP said at a book launch event in Mysuru on Sunday, news agency ANI reported.

BJP MP Pratap Simha sparked controversy after saying he will mow down bus shelters that are shaped like domes. (Harun Khan/Twitter)

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Simha also questioned how the design of the bus shelter can change overnight. The gumbaz model bus shelters are being constructed across parts of Mysuru and will be demolished by engineers, he added. "I have told engineers to demolish the structures. If they don't, I will bring JCB and demolish them," he said. The gumbaz-shaped bus shelters have been erected on Mysore Nanjangudu road, he further stated.

The comments drew flak from the opposition as well as users on social media. Tanveer Sait, a Congress MLA, told Public TV, a Kannada news channel, that everyone has a way of seeing things. “One has to understand Pratap Simha's vision and thinking to see that the domes look like part of a mosque. It is a government property, we have to wait and see what will be broken down. What do we do if everything looks like a dome? I don't know who designed that shelter. If he wants to mow down the gumbaz-style bus stop, let us see what all he will mow down.”

Simha was also criticised on social media. “A member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has a problem with domes built on the bus stand because it mirrors Islamic architecture,” a Twitter user said. Many others also drew similarities between the dome-like structures on bus shelters to those on Mysuru Palace and Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha, questioning if the BJP MP will destroy those buildings as well.

(With inputs from ANI)