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K’taka buses defaced in Pune as border dispute intensifies
A senior Karnataka police officer, requesting anonymity, said that the activists painted at least four buses of Karnataka state transport corporation in Pune district black during separate protests.
The border row between Karnataka and Maharashtra escalated on Wednesday after the ATMs of Karnataka banks and buses of the state transport department were attacked by activists of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MES) in Maharashtra’s Pune district.
A senior Karnataka police officer, requesting anonymity, said that the activists painted at least four buses of Karnataka state transport corporation in Pune district black during separate protests. “Workers of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction sprayed at least two-three buses of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) with black paint,” said the officer.
They also used an orange spray to write “Jai Maharashtra” on these buses, said an official in the know of the development.
“We had gone to Pune on Tuesday and the buses were parked in the depot. Some men came there and started painting the bus. They didn’t attack us but shouted slogans against Karnataka. Some people informed the police and helped us. They gave us protection till morning and around 4 pm, they helped us get back to Karnataka,” said a KSRTC driver, Basavaraj.
The border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra turned violent on Tuesday after several vehicles bearing Maharashtra registration numbers were stone pelted by pro-Kannada groups in Hire Bagewadi area, about 25km from Belagavi district in Karnataka, said police.
In protest against the police action, hundreds of activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayangowda faction) blocked Pune-Bengaluru national highway at the toll plaza in Hire Bagewadi area, pelted stones on about six trucks with Maharashtra numbers and painted the windshields black, said police.
“In retaliation, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) group workers from Maharashtra barged into the MSRTC bus depot in Pune and damaged eight buses with Karnataka registration numbers,” a police official said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka irrigation minister Govind Karjol said, “A situation has not yet arisen for an all-party meeting to be convened, to discuss the border dispute with Maharashtra.” He asserted that the state government was “handling the case legally”.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Siddaramaiah on Tuesday had expressed reservations about chief minister Basavaraj Bommai not calling an all-party meeting to discuss the dispute.
“The Mahajan committee report (on the issue) is final. Mr Maharajn who gave the report was from Maharashtra only. “The case has come to hearing stages, they should have called for an all-party meeting, but they haven’t,” he had said.
Responding to this statement, Karjole said that the BJP is not ready to do politics the way Siddaramaiah wants. “We know when to call (other parties), we are in government and definitely such a situation has not come, and there is no need for it now,” Karjol said.
“Such a situation (to call an all-party meeting) has not come yet... whenever required we have always taken all political parties and people into confidence, and we will continue to do it,” he added.
“The issue of jurisdiction and maintainability of the case has come before the Supreme Court for hearing.” When told that all the political parties in Maharashtra are united on the issue, Karjol said, “We need not become a part of their (Maharashtra’s) drama, whenever they enact it... yes, Maharashtra is staging a drama and we are not actors in it.” Responding to a query on Maharashtra ministerial delegation reportedly still planning to visit Belagavi, the senior minister in Bommai cabinet said, every one should keep in mind that we are all part of a federal set up.
“We had sent them (Maharashtra) a subtle message a couple of days ago, we had also sent a letter to the government there through our chief secretary... we have told them strongly that if they come, the situation won’t be right. No confusion should be created, we have to understand that we are in a federal set up, whether it is a Karnataka minister or a Maharashtra minister or from any other state,” he added.
