Shiv Sena (UBT) activists demonstrated in Pune’s Swargate locality on Saturday night, defacing buses bearing Karnataka registration plates. This act was a reaction to the attack on a Maharashtra state bus driver, Bhaskar Jadhav, in Chitradurga, Karnataka, for not conversing in Kannada.
Authorities dispatched police personnel swiftly upon learning about the protest. Despite their presence, one bus was vandalized before intervention. Several individuals have been taken into custody, with more expected to be identified through video footage.
In retaliation to the incident, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has put an indefinite halt on bus services from Kolhapur to Karnataka. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik stated that the suspension will continue until the Karnataka government clarifies its stance on the matter. He assured the injured driver that the Maharashtra government fully supports him.
This altercation comes shortly after another violent episode in Karnataka’s Belagavi, where a state-run bus conductor, Mahadevappa Hukkeri, was assaulted for not replying in Marathi. He sustained minor injuries and received medical treatment at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences.
For decades, linguistic disputes have simmered in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border regions, where Marathi and Kannada speakers frequently clash over language identity and rights. The latest incidents have only intensified the discord, raising concerns over safety and inter-state relations.
Bengaluru to Receive 7,000 Electric Buses, Set to Surpass Delhi
KSRTC Mysuru Launches Low-Floor BS VI Buses, Plans E-Bus Fleet Expansion
#LanguageWar #MaharashtraVsKarnataka #TransportCrisis #BorderTensions