Minister Satish Jarkiholi has stated that the assault case involving a bus conductor should be handled by the police and legal authorities.
“The police are taking necessary action regarding the attack on the conductor, and those responsible will face consequences. Any organization attempting to intervene will face repercussions. Belgaum should not be dragged into this,” he urged.
Addressing the media at the Belgaum Congress Bhavan, he emphasized that the police and district administration have provided all necessary information. “We request that no organization turn this into a language dispute. Such incidents are not new; they occur in different parts of the state regularly and usually conclude without escalation. There have been instances where buses were taken to police stations. The matter should be left to law enforcement and not be framed as a Kannada-Marathi conflict,” he stated.
Questions Over POCSO Case
He also raised concerns about the POCSO case, suggesting it should not have been filed. “The police are investigating both sides, but this incident took place in front of hundreds of people, so the question of POCSO does not arise. I believe the police made an error here. There should be provisions in the law for corrections in such cases. This should have been treated as a regular case,” he remarked.
Jarkiholi further condemned the vandalism of buses on both sides, stressing that such actions ultimately harm Belgaum and the government. “These incidents directly impact Belgaum’s growth. Instead of fueling such tensions, we should work towards the city’s progress,” he concluded.
