Bus services suspended between Karnataka, Maharashtra after attack on crew

The row over language started in Belagavi after a group of people allegedly intercepted the KSRTC bus and beat up its conductor and driver for not speaking to a passenger in Marathi

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday said they were mulling to deploy security marshals or police personnel in the state transport buses going to neighbouring Karnataka, in wake of an attack on its staff.

Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said it is even the Karnataka government's responsibility to provide security to passengers and if they don't do it, then the (Maharashtra) state government will.

The state government ordered the suspension of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses to Karnataka on Saturday after an attack on a vehicle of the undertaking and its driver in Chitradurga on Friday night allegedly by pro-Kannada activists.

On the same day, a conductor of the state-owned transport corporation bus of Karnataka was allegedly assaulted in Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, for not replying to a girl in Marathi.

Both the incidents have since heightened tension in the border areas of the two states.

Belagavi has a substantial Marathi population and a section among them often demands that this border district of Karnataka be merged with Maharashtra, which is opposed by pro-Kannada activists.

"Marathi is our pride and we need to look after the security of our passengers," Sarnaik told PTI Videos.

He also stressed that passengers should not face difficulties due to the suspension of bus services by both the states.

Senior officials of the transport department were talking to their Karnataka counterparts to resolve the issue, the minister said.

"As transport minister, I have to think about the security of our passengers. If there are some anti-social elements, then we need to think about deploying security marshals or police personnel in our state-run buses which go to Karnataka," Sarnaik said.

"Marathi is our pride and we need to look after the security of our passengers, and the issue will be discussed in the state cabinet meeting too," he said.

The minister said Maharashtra has its "pride" and will not tolerate if people of the neighbouring state bully "our people".