Dome-like structures removed from Mysuru bus stop after spat between BJP MP, MLA

Two of the three controversial domes atop a bus stop in Mysuru, which had turned into a friction point between BJP leaders of the district, were removed late on Saturday. The domes atop the bus stop near JSS College, Ooty Road, which according to local MLA S A Ramdas was modelled along the lines of Mysuru Palace, had attracted the wrath of Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha who had threatened to demolish them.

After authorities cleared the smaller domes, Simha claimed victory saying he had stuck to his guns and ensured that the structures were removed. District authorities, who had sought time to resolve the issue, also have fulfilled their responsibilities, he added.

In a release, Ramdas said that unnecessarily communalising the issue had hurt him. This is being interpreted as a setback for the local MLA.

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Both Simha and Ramdas are from the BJP and the dispute was seen as a tussle within party ranks over one-upmanship in the district.

During the third week of November, Simha had raked up the issue claiming that a large dome flanked by two smaller domes “was a mosque” and that he would demolish the structure within a couple of days. Ramdas had retorted saying the shelter was not built along any religious lines, but to depict the heritage of the city. “Some people have misunderstood the design to claim that it is built like a mosque,” he had said.