The three-dome structured bus stop on the Kerala Border-Kollegala section of NH-766 were demolished and rebuilt after an objection of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pratap Simha.
Sana Ejaz | TwoCircles.net
NEW DELHI — The mosque-style domes at a bus stand in Karnataka’s Mysuru were taken down by the administration on Sunday (November 27) after backlash.
The three-dome structured bus stop on the Kerala Border-Kollegala section of NH-766 were demolished and rebuilt after the objection raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pratap Simha.
“I have seen gumbad-like structures in bus shelters, one big gumbad in the middle and two small on both sides It is nothing but a masjid. The engineers have to remove this type of shelter. Otherwise, I’ll bring JCB and bring them down,” the BJP MP said.
I've seen it on social media. The bus stand has three domes, a big one in the middle and 2 small one beside it. That’s a masjid only. I’ve told engineers to demolish the structure in three-four days. If they don’t, I will take a JCB and demolish it: Karnataka BJP MP Pratap Simha pic.twitter.com/OgS1e0COJs
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2022
The BJP MP threatened to demolish the bus stand. “I have asked the engineers to demolish this structure in three-four days. If they don’t, I will raze this bus stand with a bulldozer.”
BJP MLA from Krishnaraja constituency Ramadas had defended the construction. He said the dome-shaped structure was constructed by looking at the significance of the heritage of the city.
“The bus stop shouldn’t be in controversy. I had constructed 12 bus stops across Mysuru as a model palace. But it was given communal angle,” he said.
The National Highways Authority of India subjected the structure as an ‘Unauthorised Occupation’ and directed the Mysuru civic body for the removal.
(NHAI) issued notice to Mysore City Corporation for the removal of a “structure constructed to achieve controversial kind of issues” at a bus stop in Mysuru, Karnataka and granted them one-week time for the removal of the structure.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issues notice to Mysore City Corporation for the removal of a "structure constructed to achieve controversial kind of issues" at a bus stop in Mysuru, Karnataka; grants them one-week time for the removal of the structure. pic.twitter.com/2LqYdqsffn
— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2022
The new picture of the bus stop has now come to the fore, in which there is only one dome, and the bus stop has been painted red.
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,” BJP MP Pratap Simha tweeted after the administration demolished two gumbads of the bus stand.
Sana Ejaz is an independent journalist from Bihar. She tweets @SanaEjaz_