Sun Feb 23 08:43:16 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka-Maharashtra Bus Services Halted Amidst Border Tensions

**Belagavi, Karnataka/Mumbai, Maharashtra –** Bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra have ground to a halt following a series of attacks stemming from a dispute in Belagavi. The escalating violence has prompted both states to suspend operations, citing safety concerns for their transport staff and passengers.

The conflict began Friday when a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus conductor was assaulted in Belagavi’s Marihal locality after he allegedly refused to respond to a passenger’s request in Marathi. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with this attack, but the conductor also faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following a counter-complaint from the passenger.

In apparent retaliation, a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus driver was attacked in Chitradurga district of Karnataka on Saturday. Unidentified individuals blackened the driver with paint. Several arrests have been made in this case as well. Following these incidents, Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced the immediate suspension of MSRTC bus services to Karnataka. Furthermore, an ultra-luxury KSRTC bus was vandalized in Maharashtra on Sunday, with pro-Maharashtra slogans painted on its exterior.

Both states have now significantly reduced or suspended cross-border bus services. A senior officer from the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) stated that they are working with Maharashtra to resolve the situation and restore services.

The incidents have rekindled long-standing tensions over the Belagavi district, which has a significant Marathi-speaking population. Maharashtra has long claimed Belagavi, citing historical grievances and challenging its inclusion in Karnataka in the 1956 state reorganization. While the Mahajan Commission in 1966 ruled in favor of Karnataka, the matter remains unresolved and is currently before the Supreme Court. The construction of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, where the Karnataka state legislature holds sessions, in Belagavi further fuels the dispute. Authorities from both states are attempting to de-escalate the situation and restore normalcy.

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