Second FIR Filed Against Pratap Simha; Dalit Outfit Demands His Arrest

A second FIR has been registered against former MP Pratap Simha in connection with an inflammatory speech delivered during a Ganesha idol immersion procession in T. Narsipur town. The fresh case, filed on Tuesday, invokes Sections 352 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with provisions of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The complaint was lodged by Madhu K.T. of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Kshemabhrivruddhi Kreedaa Kala Sangha in Kaiyamballi village, T. Narsipur. Mr. Simha is accused of insulting the Dalit community through allegedly derogatory remarks made during the Shobha Yatra on September 18.

On Wednesday, the Dalit Sangharsha Samithi (DSS) staged a demonstration in front of the Ambedkar statue at the Town Hall premises, demanding the former MP's arrest over his remarks concerning the "blue shawl", a symbol of Dalit equality. Protesters raised slogans against Mr. Simha and called for a high-level investigation into all cases registered against him.

Addressing the gathering, DSS district convener Choranahalli Shivanna condemned Mr. Simha's alleged provocative speech in front of a mosque during a Ganeshotsav programme, his purported derogatory remarks against a police officer, and his comments on the blue shawl. "Mr. Simha should be arrested immediately. Otherwise, we will be forced to launch an intense agitation," Mr. Shivanna warned, expressing dissatisfaction with the police department's reluctance to arrest him despite a case being registered based on CCTV footage, drone visuals and social media videos.

Mr. Simha, however, denied being anti-Dalit and claimed that it was the T. Narsipur police inspector who had made a provocative statement. Questioning the FIR registered against him under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he asserted that he had not made any remarks against any caste and said he would seek justice from the court against the FIRs filed against him.