Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)

Mysuru, Sep 13: MP Pratap Simha, has issued a warning to lead 'save temples' movement with the support of the people if the current drive to demolish temples alone, which are standing in public places continues.

He criticized the district administration for not properly assimilating the Supreme Court order. Addressing a press meet held here on Sunday September 12, he urged the administration to withdraw the order of 2010. Simha said that the Supreme Court had said that religious buildings illegally constructed in public places should be treated as separate, and to provide them alternative land, or if possible, regularise these structures. The Supreme Court had laid emphasis on taking the people into confidence through various steps including regularization of constructions wherever possible. The district administration has overlooked these points and is behaving like thieves who undertake evictions in the early hours, he fumed.

Simha stated that the district administration here has cleared nine temples so far, while leaving mosques and Dargahs untouched. "In the list of places identified to be demolished, there are over 90 temples and the officials have targeted only Hinduism," he complained. The MP said that when offering prayers in the mosques, the devotees think of Mecca and in churches, the congregation have Rome in their minds. "In temples, the devotees keep the idols of the specific temples in their minds. Therefore, churches, mosques and temples cannot be treated as one and the same," he explained.

To the statement made by MLA Tanveer Sait that his community members have no bangles in their hands if the authorities touch the buildings of Islam, he termed this statement as insult for the women. He said that in Islam, the ladies are forced to wear burqas and confirmed to kitchens. He asked people not to forget that Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Onake Obavva are women.