Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered the suspension of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses to Karnataka following an attack on an MSRTC bus and its driver in the neighbouring state. The incident occurred on Friday night in Chitradurga when a bus travelling from Bengaluru to Mumbai was targeted by pro-Kannada activists.
According to Sarnaik, the attackers vandalised the vehicle and blackened the face of driver Bhaskar Jadhav before assaulting him. A case has been registered with Karnataka police regarding the attack. Sarnaik stated that Maharashtra would not resume bus services to Karnataka until the Karnataka government clarified its stance on the incident.
Retaliation over language dispute?
The attack in Chitradurga follows another incident on the same day where a Karnataka transport bus conductor was allegedly assaulted near Belagavi for not responding in Marathi. Belagavi, which has a significant Marathi-speaking population, has been at the centre of a long-standing border dispute, with some Marathi speakers advocating for its merger with Maharashtra—an idea strongly opposed by Karnataka and its Kannada-speaking residents.
Arrests and legal actions
Karnataka police have arrested four individuals in connection with the assault on the conductor. However, the conductor, Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri, has also been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a complaint by a 14-year-old girl. Hukkeri claimed that he was attacked after asking the girl to speak in Kannada instead of Marathi, while the counter-complaint alleges that he made derogatory remarks toward her.
Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang assured that all those involved in the attack on the conductor would be arrested soon. Meanwhile, pro-Kannada activists staged protests in Belagavi, blocking roads and burning effigies, demanding justice for the conductor. Police dispersed the protestors and emphasised the need for a neutral investigation to maintain peace in the region.
The incidents have further heightened tensions in the border region, which has historically seen disputes over language and territorial claims. Authorities in both states are closely monitoring the situation to prevent further escalation.
(With PTI inputs)