Pratap Simmha, Mysuru MP, on Sunday said the arrest of his brother, Vikram Simha, in an illegal tree-felling case in Belur taluk was part of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s “political strategy” to facilitate his son Yathindra’s election from Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency in the coming elections.
Speaking to reporters here, the lawmaker accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of “trampling” upon anybody posing a hurdle in the path of his son’s election. Hence, he was targeting his family and “fixing” his [Mr. Pratap Simmha’s] brother in the case.
The MP said Mr. Vikram Simha had visited the Forest Department’s office to give a statement though his name did not figure in the FIR registered in the illegal tree-felling case.
He also accused the Chief Minister of diverting media attention away from the incident where a woman was stripped and assaulted in Belagavi by focussing on the Parliament pass issue in the legislature and calling for an inquiry against him by taking his name though he was not a member of either the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council.
Again on Saturday, the media attention was deflected away from the conviction of his own Cabinet colleague, Madhu Bangarappa, in a cheque bounce case by focussing on the “chasing and arrest” of his “absconding” brother.
He said the question of his brother “absconding” did not arise as he was not even named as an accused in the FIR registered in the case.
Mr. Simmha said he was aware that Mr. Siddaramaiah would make all efforts to “trample” upon him for the sake of his son’s political future.
Mr. Simmha also recalled that two criminal cases had been booked against him during the Hanuma Jayanti celebrations in Hunsur before the last Lok Sabha polls.
He expressed confidence that voters of Kodagu and Mysuru would stand by him in the coming elections just like they did in the previous polls.
