Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy visited Belagavi on Monday to assess the safety of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) staff after a conductor was assaulted for not responding in Marathi. In response, pro-Kannada groups have announced a ‘Belagavi Chalo’ protest on Tuesday, while both Karnataka and Maharashtra have suspended bus services in the region.
The minister visited the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in the morning to review the security of KSRTC personnel and the operation of buses to Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), led by its president Narayanagowda, called for a march to Panth Balekundri in Belagavi to protest the attack. Urging unity, Narayanagowda encouraged pro-Kannada activists statewide to join the demonstration against violence targeting Kannada-speaking individuals.
The unrest began on Friday in Marihal, Belagavi, when KSRTC conductor Mahadevappa Mallappa Hukkeri was allegedly attacked for asking a passenger to speak in Kannada. According to his complaint, a girl requested a ticket in Marathi, and when he asked her to converse in Kannada, she and her male companion confronted him. Later, a larger group intercepted the bus and assaulted him. Four individuals have been arrested. However, the case took a twist when the girl accused the conductor of inappropriate behavior, leading to charges under the Pocso Act.
A day later, in a suspected retaliatory attack, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) driver Bhaskar Jadhav was assaulted in Hiriyur, Chitradurga. Unidentified individuals stopped his bus, smeared black paint on his face, and allegedly manhandled him. Several arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
In response to these developments, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced the suspension of MSRTC bus services to Karnataka. He cited an attack on a Maharashtra bus traveling from Bengaluru to Mumbai in Chitradurga on Friday night. Meanwhile, a Karnataka ultra-luxury KSRTC bus was vandalized in Maharashtra, with slogans like ‘Jai Maharashtra’ and ‘Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’ scribbled on it, prompting Karnataka to halt its bus services to Maharashtra.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar called for peace, emphasizing mutual respect and unity. Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad condemned the assault on the KSRTC conductor, calling it a “serious issue” and warning against attempts to provoke linguistic tensions. He urged that legal action be taken against those responsible while advocating for peaceful protests.
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy criticized the government’s handling of the situation, questioning its stance on protecting Kannada interests. Recalling his tenure as Chief Minister in 2006-07, he highlighted his efforts to counter Maharashtra’s claims over Belagavi by declaring it Karnataka’s second capital and initiating the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha project. He blamed the current government for the escalating unrest.
