Maharashtra Suspends State Bus Services to Karnataka Amid Language Row
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has suspended bus services from Kolhapur to Karnataka indefinitely, citing concerns for the safety of passengers and employees. The decision follows reports of an attack on an MSRTC bus driver by pro-Kannada activists, according to news agency PTI.
Attack on MSRTC Bus and Driver
Maharashtra’s Transport Minister, Pratap Sarnaik, stated that an MSRTC bus traveling from Bengaluru to Mumbai was attacked in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district on Friday. He alleged that the driver, Bhaskar Jadhav, was assaulted, and his face was blackened. Sarnaik demanded a response from the Congress-led Karnataka government before resuming services.
MSRTC spokesperson Abhijit Bhosale confirmed, “As per the minister’s directives, all ST bus services from Kolhapur to Karnataka have been halted indefinitely to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.”
Language Dispute and Tensions in Belagavi
The suspension comes amid growing tensions over a language dispute in Karnataka’s Belagavi district. Recently, four individuals were arrested for allegedly assaulting a state transport bus conductor, Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri, for not responding to a passenger in Marathi.
Hukkeri was also booked under the POCSO Act for allegedly making derogatory remarks about a 14-year-old Marathi-speaking girl. He was admitted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment of minor injuries.
Clashing Narratives
Hukkeri, recounting his version, said that he asked the girl, who boarded his bus with a male friend, to speak in Kannada. “When I said I don’t know Marathi, she insulted me, saying I must learn it. Soon, a large crowd gathered and assaulted me,” he claimed.
Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang confirmed that a case was registered against Hukkeri based on a complaint by Marathi activists. He acknowledged that the situation could escalate, given Belagavi’s history of territorial disputes between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Meanwhile, pro-Kannada activists staged a protest outside Marihal police station, denouncing the attack on Hukkeri and calling the case against him baseless.
“The matter should be resolved through proper investigation. There is no need for concern, and everyone should maintain peace,” urged the Commissioner.
