“My petition was dismissed based on the word ‘secular’ introduced by Indira Gandhi” : Former BJP MP Pratap Simha

Petition against controversial Muslim author Banu Mushtaq dismissed !

Bengaluru (Karnataka) – Former BJP MP Pratap Simha had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court opposing the invitation extended to controversial Muslim author Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival. The High Court dismissed all three independently filed PILs, stating that none of the petitioners’ legal rights had been violated.

Reacting to the verdict, Pratap Simha expressed his displeasure, saying, “I am not criticizing the High Court, but our petition was dismissed based on the word ‘secular’ introduced by Indira Gandhi.”

#MysoreDasara Row: Ex-BJP MP Pratap Simha: “My petition was rejected because of the word ‘secular’ that Indira Gandhi inserted in the Constitution.”

⚖️ Case of the petition against radical Muslim writer Banu Mushtaq dismissed by HC#MysuruDasara2025 https://t.co/aYH43WeETm pic.twitter.com/T4aO6MqBz5

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) September 16, 2025

Points raised by Pratap Simha that challenge the System’s introspection:

1. A video undermining the sanctity of the Hindu pilgrimage site Dharmasthala was created by a person named Sameer, yet the Sessions Court granted him bail. Another individual, Mahesh Timrodi, who spread misinformation about Dharmasthala, continues to roam freely.

2. “I had a faint hope that justice would be served, which is why I approached the High Court. But the court dismissed my petition on the narrow ground that Banu Mushtaq has the right to express her opinion.”

3. “The Ashoka Emblem bears the words ‘Satyameva Jayate.’ If someone insults that tomorrow, will it be considered acceptable? Will statements like ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ also be removed under the pretext of secularism and freedom of expression? If remarks that hurt India’s core cultural values fall under the protection of secularism and free speech, then I have no right to speak at all.”

4. “Recently, in Kashmir, the Ashoka Chakra at the Hazrat Ali Dargah was vandalized with stones. Does that fall under freedom of expression too?”

5. “I am not questioning the credibility of the judiciary. My petition was dismissed within the framework of secularism, and I am using that same freedom of expression to voice my opinion.”