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Bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra have come to a standstill after tensions flared up on Friday when a bus conductor was beaten up in Belagavi for allegedly not responding in Marathi. In a retaliatory move, some unidentified individuals attacked and blackened a bus driver of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in Chitradurga district of Karnataka.
The attacks have led to the suspension of bus services between the two states. Both Karnataka and Maharashtra transport corporations have restricted their operations, citing safety concerns for passengers and staff.
The Incident In Belagavi
The immediate trigger for the recent flare-up was an altercation in Marihal, a locality in Karnataka's Belagavi district, on Friday. A conductor of a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus was reportedly attacked by a group of men for not responding to a passenger in Marathi. According to the conductor's police complaint, a girl had asked for a ticket in Marathi. When he said that he did not understand Marathi and requested her to speak in Kannada, she and her male companion allegedly assaulted him.
The situation quickly escalated when a larger group intercepted the bus and physically assaulted the conductor. The police have arrested four individuals involved in the attack. However, the conductor was also booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the girl filed a complaint alleging 'indecent behaviour'.
Retaliation In Chitradurga
In what appears to be a retaliatory act, a bus driver from Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) was attacked the following day in Hiriyur Taluk of Karnataka's Chitradurga district. The victim, Bhaskar Jadhav, was blackened with paint by unidentified individuals. Police have arrested several individuals in connection with the incident.
Following this, Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced a halt to MSRTC bus services to Karnataka. He said an MSRTC bus travelling from Bengaluru to Mumbai was attacked in Chitradurga around 9:10 pm on Friday by pro-Kannada activists.
On Sunday, an ultra-luxury KSRTC bus was vandalised in Maharashtra, with slogans like 'Jai Maharashtra', 'Marathi', and 'Maharashtra Navnirman Sena' scribbled across its body in black paint.
Given the rising hostilities, Karnataka has also reduced its bus services to Maharashtra. "We have limited the number of buses going to Maharashtra for the time being and are taking all precautions to normalize the situation," a senior officer of the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) told PTI.
"We are in touch with our Maharashtra counterparts to ensure a smooth resolution and the resumption of bus services," he added.
Historic Context
Belagavi, a district with a substantial Marathi-speaking population, has been at the heart of a historic border dispute between the two states. Maharashtra has repeatedly claimed Belagavi (formerly Belgaum) and several other villages along the border, arguing that they were wrongly assigned to Karnataka in India's landmark act to redraw state boundaries in 1956 and the formation of Maharashtra four years later.
The Karnataka government has firmly opposed any such claims. To reinforce its position, it has constructed the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, where the state legislature holds annual sessions.
In 1966, the Mahajan Commission ruled in favour of Karnataka, rejecting Maharashtra's claims over Belagavi. However, Maharashtra refused to accept the decision and took the matter to the Supreme Court in 2004, where it remains pending.