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Belgaum dispute:Bus services from Maha to K’taka suspended
Bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka have been partially suspended against the backdrop of the ongoing border dispute between the two states over Belgaum,
Bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka have been partially suspended against the backdrop of the ongoing border dispute between the two states over Belgaum, a police official said on Sunday.
The services have been suspended as a precautionary measure after protests escalated by the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra on Sunday and Karnataka Navnirman Sena (KNS) in Karnataka on Saturday.
PA Pathan, traffic control officer, Kolhapur MSRTC said, “Bus service to and from Karnataka was suspending last night (Saturday) at 8pm. The decision was taken based on the letter received by the police. We are awaiting further orders.”
On Saturday, KNS members led by party member Bhimashankar Patil had reportedly burnt an effigy of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thakeray. At a public gathering in Belgaum, Karnataka on Saturday, former Karnataka state education minister Basavaraj Horatti also made statements against Thackeray.
“We Shiv Sainiks know how to give tit for tat answers. Uddhav Thackaray is our god and Matoshree is our temple. If they try to act against our god, we will teach them a lesson. Their government should solve the issue or Shiv Sena can give them a solution,” said Sanjay Pawar while speaking to a local language news channel.
In retaliation, the Shiv Sena held a rally in Kolhapur city on Sunday. Some Sena activists burnt the effigy of Karnataka CM and BJP member BS Yediyurappa at Dabholkar Corner in Kolhapur at 10:30am.
“We have a daily roster of about 70-80 buses between Miraj and Karnataka. This morning (Sunday), based on a letter from the Miraj rural police station, we let a few buses leave at 6am. But stopped the service after 8am as the Shiv Sena protest was set to begin,” said DD Patel, traffic control official in Miraj, which is the entry point into Maharashtra from Karnataka.
“One bus arrived from Karnataka on Sunday morning and one bus from Medha to Vijapur started on Sunday morning. However, neither of the two daily buses started from Sangli today,” said an official of the Sangli traffic control.
The three bus services are awaiting further recommendations from the local police to resume the service.
Maharashtra claims Belgaum, part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, but currently a district of Karnataka, on linguistic grounds. CM Uddhav Thackeray earlier this month appointed ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Eknath Shinde as co-ordinators to oversee his government’s efforts to expedite the case related to the boundary dispute with Karnataka.
