Shiv Sena (UBT) workers deface Karnataka buses with ‘Jai Maharashtra’ graffiti in Pune

Amid a simmering border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka, workers sprayed black and saffron paints on at least three Karnataka state transport buses in Swargate area of Pune

Amid a simmering border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka, workers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Tuesday sprayed black and saffron paints on at least three Karnataka state transport buses in Swargate area of Pune.

Karnataka State Transport buses were blackened near Swargate in Pune. (HT PHOTO)

Workers of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction sprayed at least three-four buses of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) parked at MSRTC Swargate headquarters with black paint. They also wrote “Jai Maharashtra” on these buses.

“We have detained seven people who painted the buses,” a police officer said. The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.

Ashok Indalkar senior police inspector at Swargate police station said, “The Shivsena workers came to the spot in the afternoon at around 2.30 pm and they painted the number plates with black spray and then wrote “Jai Maharashtra” on the windows of the bus with saffron colour. We have detained seven people in this case but no formal complaint is been lodged.”

Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to 814 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.

Belagavi district administration in Karnataka on Monday issued orders barring entry of the two Maharashtra ministers and leaders to the city. Prohibitory orders were issued under section 144 of CrPC, barring their entry, besides that of an MP, who are members of the Maharashtra High Power Committee on the Border Dispute. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai recently sought a merger of “Kannada-speaking” areas in Maharashtra’s Akkalkot and Solapur and had also said some villages in Jat taluka in Sangli district wanted to join the southern state.