Parliament security breach | Parents of Mysuru-based Manoranjan condemn son’s act

Mr. Devraj said they had voted for BJP MP from Mysuru Pratap Simha

Manoranjan’s father Devaraj outside his house in Mysuru on December 13, 2023. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

The parents of Manoranjan, 33, an engineering graduate and resident of Mysuru, who was involved in the security breach at Lok Sabha on Wednesday, December 13, expressed shock over their son’s act and strongly condemned it.

Father Devaraj, a farmer and mother Shylaja, a home maker, were both unanimous in condemning their son’s act but vouched for his good behaviour and conduct.

Speaking to reporters outside his house in Vijayanagar II stage in Mysuru, Mr. Devaraj said “My son has never harmed anybody. He was very fond of reading and was interested in doing a lot of social work.” he said.

After completing his engineering from a college in Bengaluru in 2012-13, Manoranjan was assisting his father in his agricultural activities. Mr Devaraj owns farmlands in Mallapura village in Hassan district’s Arakalgud taluk.

A video grab shows an unidentified man jumping from the visitor’s gallery of Lok Sabha, after which a slight commotion occurred in the House during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on December 13, 2023. | Photo Credit: ANI

An engineering graduate

“He would accompany me to the farms, where he would stay for about a week or fortnight. When in Mysuru, he would go for morning walks and exercise,” Mr. Devaraj said. Though his son was frequenting Bengaluru and Delhi, he was not discussing the same with his family members, But, Mr. Devaraj said he was confident that his son did not have any bad habits nor was he part of any undesirable activities.

‘Voters of BJP MP’

Responding to queries, Mr Devaraj said his son admired Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was of opinion that the country was fortunate to have him as its Prime Minister.

With regard to his son obtaining a pass to the Lok Sabha visitors’ gallery from member Pratap Simha, Mr. Devaraj said they were voters of the BJP MP from Mysuru. “Even I have a good rapport with Mr. Simha,” he claimed. One should not find fault with Pratap Simha for providing his son with a pass to enter Lok Sabha as he had given it for a good purpose, he said.

Manoranjan, an engineering graduate and resident of Mysuru, who was involved in the security breach at Lok Sabha on December 13, 2023 | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

Stating that great leaders of the country like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were behind building an institution like the Parliament, Mr. Devaraj said he would condemn such an intrusion into the ‘temple’ of democracy by his son.

His mother said Manoranjan was a silent person, who did not have many friends. He left Mysuru about two to three days ago to Bengaluru. Manoranjan, who did not like to take up a job, was not working anywhere, she said.

She said Manoranjan was one of her two children and she also had a daughter. She said she learnt about her son’s involvement in the incident only from the television channels.

Soon after receiving information about the involvement of Manoranjan from Mysuru, senior police personnel reached his house in the city and gathered information about him and his activities from his father.

Congress protest

Meanwhile, the Congress party in Mysuru condemned the breach of security in the Parliament and held protest outside the office of Mr. Simha in Mysuru on Wednesday evening.