"People Will Decide Whether I Am Traitor Or Patriot": Pratap Simha On Parliament Breach

BJP Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha on Sunday speaking on the Parliament security breach case said people will ultimately decide whether he was a patriot or a traitor, during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Not wanting to divulge anything regarding the incident and the probe, he said, will leave it to the gods and his reader fans to decide on the alleged "traitor" allegations made against him.

The protesters who had jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13 and set off smoke canisters, had entered Parliament on passes issued on the recommendation of Simha's office.

"Whether Pratap Simha is a traitor or a patriot -- mother Goddess Chamundeshwari sitting on the hills of Mysuru, mother Goddess Cauvery who is sitting on Brahmagiri, my reader fans across Karnataka who have been reading my writings for the last twenty years, and people of Mysuru and Kodgu who have seen my work for 9.5 years and my conduct on issues related country, dharma and nationalism -- will give their verdict through votes in Lok Sabha polls to be held in April, 2024," Simha said.

Speaking to reporters here, while responding to a question on posters that were put up calling him a "traitor", he further said, "They (people) are the ones who have to ultimately give the judgement. They will decide whether I'm a patriot. I leave it to their decision. I don't have anything to say other than that." The Congress and some organisations had staged a protest against Simha, following the Parliament security breach incident.

Asked about the incident and whether his statement was recorded by the police, Simha merely said, "I have said whatever I have to. I don't have anything else to say on this." Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday had said the statement of Simha has been recorded as part of the probe in the Parliament security breach case.

Journalist-turned-politician Simha is a two-term BJP Lok Sabha member from Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)