Feb, 25 Tuesday, Karnataka: Tensions between Maharashtra and Karnataka escalated this week following a series of incidents involving Shiv Sena (UBT) workers targeting Karnataka buses and their staff. On Monday, February 24, a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) activists in Solapur stopped a Karnataka state transport bus, smeared saffron powder on the driver’s head and face, garlanded him, and forced him to chant “Jai Maharashtra.” The vandals also painted the bus with slogans like “Jai Maharashtra” while chanting praises of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Similar incidents were reported in Kolhapur, where buses were vandalized, leading to the temporary suspension of inter-state bus services. While services briefly resumed on Monday, they were halted again due to ongoing security concerns. Karnataka operates around 120 daily bus services to Maharashtra via Nipani, but the disruptions have left hundreds of passengers stranded.
The unrest also reached Pune, where Shiv Sena (UBT) workers targeted two NWKRTC buses on February 23. Activists blackened Kannada signage, including destination boards and number plates, on buses operating on the Pune-Indi-Sindagi and Mumbai-Ilkal routes. These actions have further strained relations between the two states, already simmering over linguistic and cultural disputes.
The latest flare-up stems from an incident on February 21, when NWKRTC bus conductor Mahadevappa Hukkeri was assaulted in Belagavi after reportedly asking a passenger to speak in Kannada. Hukkeri sustained severe injuries and remains in critical care. The Belagavi police have arrested five individuals, including a minor, in connection with the attack. However, the situation grew more complex when a counter-complaint was filed against Hukkeri on February 22, accusing him of attempting to molest a minor girl on the bus. He has since been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has dismissed the allegations against Hukkeri, calling them “false and baseless.” He emphasized that Hukkeri, a conductor with over five years of service, was attacked over a language dispute. Reddy questioned the plausibility of the molestation charge, stating, “There were 90 passengers on the bus. How could such an act occur in broad daylight? This is a deliberate attempt to harass him.”
The incidents have sparked outrage, with calls for calm and dialogue to prevent further escalation. Authorities in both states are working to restore normalcy, but the underlying tensions over language and regional identity remain unresolved.
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