Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has suspended state transport bus services to Karnataka after an MSRTC driver was attacked in Chitradurga. The suspension will remain until the Karnataka government clarifies its stance on the issue.
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Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed the suspension of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus services to Karnataka following an attack on a bus and its driver in Chitradurga. The suspension will remain in place until the Karnataka government clarifies its stance on the matter, PTI reports.
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According to PTI, the incident occurred on Friday night when an MSRTC bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Mumbai, was targeted by pro-Kannada activists in Chitradurga around 9:10 pm. The assailants allegedly blackened the face of driver Bhaskar Jadhav before physically assaulting him. A case has been registered with the Karnataka police in connection with the attack, PTI states.
Minister Sarnaik confirmed the suspension of MSRTC services, declaring that unless Karnataka authorities take a clear stand and engage in discussions with Maharashtra, bus operations will not resume. “Bus services to Karnataka won’t be resumed unless the Karnataka government makes its stand clear on the issue,” Sarnaik stated.
Meanwhile, on the same day, a Karnataka state transport bus conductor was allegedly assaulted near Belagavi for not responding to a girl in Marathi. It remains unclear whether the attack on the MSRTC bus in Chitradurga was a retaliatory act, PTI reports.
Belagavi, a border district with a significant Marathi-speaking population, has long been a point of contention between Maharashtra and Karnataka. A section of Marathi-speaking residents has demanded the district’s merger with Maharashtra, a move strongly opposed by Karnataka and the local Kannada-speaking population.
As per PTI, Sarnaik confirmed that the attacked MSRTC bus (MH-14 KQ 7714) had just crossed Chitradurga when pro-Kannada activists intercepted and assaulted the driver. Karnataka police have since arrested four individuals in connection with the separate incident involving the assault on the conductor in Belagavi.
According to police sources, the conductor, identified as Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri, has also been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. PTI reports that the 51-year-old conductor claimed he was assaulted after a girl, who boarded the bus with her male friend at Sulebhavi village, addressed him in Marathi. When he responded that he did not understand Marathi and requested her to speak in Kannada, she allegedly abused him, demanding that he learn Marathi. Soon after, a crowd gathered and attacked him.
“When I said I don’t know Marathi, the girl abused me, saying I must learn it. Suddenly, a large number of people gathered and assaulted me on my head and all over my body,” Hukkeri alleged, as per PTI reports.
Following the attack, Hukkeri was admitted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences. Police have confirmed that he suffered minor injuries and is now out of danger.
According to PTI, Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang stated that four individuals had been arrested in connection with the assault on the conductor, while three police teams have been deployed to track down other suspects. “All those involved in the incident will be arrested soon,” he assured.
Additionally, a counter-case has been filed against the conductor, accusing him of misbehaving with the 14-year-old girl. “A case was registered on Friday night, and no arrests have been made yet under the POCSO Act. The investigation is ongoing, and we will gather statements from other passengers to determine the truth before taking further action,” a senior police official stated.
PTI reports that pro-Kannada activists staged protests in Belagavi following the incident, blocking the Belagavi-Bagalkote road and burning effigies. Protesters who gathered outside Marihal police station, condemning the attack on the conductor and calling the POCSO charges against him false, were dispersed by the police.
In response to concerns about escalating tensions, Commissioner Marbaniang said the situation must be handled through legal means and called for peace. “The issue can be handled through an investigation. There is nothing to be concerned about. Peace must be maintained by everyone,” he stated, as per PTI reports.
Authorities in both states are now closely monitoring developments to prevent further unrest, PTI reports.
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