MYSURU: A day after the arrest of MP Pratap Simha’s brother Vikram Simha in connection with an alleged tree felling case and timber smuggling, the former broke his silence on Sunday and said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was trying to finish him, his political career and his family, all for the future of the latter’s son.
Pratap Simha spoke emotionally saying, “You can just take my life. You have already assassinated my character; now it’s my family is being targeted. You can arrest my aged mother and sister for the sake of your dynastic politics. You don’t have many options, sir. Goddess Chamundi and mother Cauvery will not leave my side. The people of Mysuru-Kodagu will not leave me”.
The Lok Sabha MP got emotional while talking about his brother Vikram Simha’s arrest in an illegal timber transportation case. He also vented his ire at CM Siddaramaiah.
Launched an attack at the CM, Pratap Simha said, “Siddaramaiah sir is a good father and a brilliant politician. You are making false accusations against me to rehabilitate your son as MP from here. The Congress is going to town that they have arrested my brother even though his name is not in the FIR copy”.
“Hon’ble Siddaramaiah. I thought I should praise you. For your son’s political future, you will trample upon anyone to win the Lok Sabha elections. This strategy should be learnt from Siddaramaiah. Not everyone gets such a father. You are a brilliant father, I really appreciate you. You are making all efforts to end my future as I am a hurdle for your son’s future. Second, you have proved to be a brilliant politician. A big salutation to you”, he added.
Referring to the incident where a woman was stripped naked, paraded and assaulted in a Belagavi village, Pratap Simha said the CM is highlighting his case to divert attention from the Belagavi case. “You, your cabinet members, the Deputy CM, all speak about a parliamentary pass. You have 40 years of experience. You have handed over the matter for investigation and added my name. Your son is pressuring you for an investigation against me”, he said.
“Minister Madhu Bangarappa has been held guilty in a cheque bounce case and sentenced to six months imprisonment if he fails to repay it. But my brother’s arrest is being portrayed in cinematic style. It was indeed true that you have done brilliant politics. You drew my brother’s name in the land issue in Belur on December 16 and an FIR has been registered felling trees. But, actually, the FIR has been registered against Jayamma and Rajesh Shetty in the case. Ravi helped him and escaped. The three have not been nabbed”.
“You kept all the seized time in Hassan’s Aranya Bhavan. You have not been able to arrest them till December 24. I was attending a Hanuman Jayanti programme. Within two hours of that, the Congress posted a tweet on its official page. My brother’s name is not in the FIR. However, you tried to finish off Pratap Simha by arresting my brother. Was he absconding before? He went to forest department and recorded his statement two days ago”, he noted.
Pratap Simha further lashed out at the CM saying, “The CM is making every possible effort to finish me off for the sake of his son’s political future, almost assassinating my character, dragging my family to the streets. Earlier, you had got two criminal cases filed against me”, he added.