Interstate bus service between Maharashtra-Karnataka suspended 

The assault on Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus driver and conductor in Chitradurga, Karnataka has led to the suspension of bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka from Saturday evening.  The suspension came a day after the bus driver and conductor were allegedly assaulted and had black ink thrown on them for not speaking Kannada. Condemning the incident, Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik directed the MSRTC officials to suspend all Maharashtra ST bus services from Kolhapur to Karnataka indefinitely, prioritising the safety of passengers and employees.  

Meanwhile, Sarnaik personally spoke to the injured driver, Bhaskar Jadhav, over the phone to console him. He assured Jadhav that the government stands firmly behind him and all transport employees. Furthermore, he emphasized that bus services to Karnataka will remain suspended until the Karnataka government takes a clear stand and initiates discussions with the Maharashtra administration regarding the incident. 

Earlier in the day, officials confirmed that the services had resumed after receiving police clearance from Karnataka authorities, but they suspended the service in the evening again, citing passenger safety. Buses were halted near Kagal in Kolhapur district before resuming operations for a while, officials added. 

Anagha Bartakke, divisional controller for the Kolhapur division, said, “Due to sudden protests by political parties, we had to suspend our services. Several buses were delayed, and nearly 30 long-distance buses—covering routes to Belgaum, Nipani, and Bengaluru—were cancelled.” 

Untoward incident  

The untoward incident occurred on Friday near Chitradurga when MSRTC bus driver Bhaskar Jadhav (Batch No. 15974) and conductor Prashant Thorat (Batch No. 33125), operating from the Kolhapur bus depot, were on their way from Bengaluru to Mumbai when they were allegedly attacked by activists of the Kannada Rakshak Vedike. In response, members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) staged protests in Kolhapur on Saturday, raising slogans against Karnataka’s state-run bus services. 

Regarding the issue, Sarnaik told Hindustan Times, “On Friday at 9:10 pm, an MSRTC bus was intercepted near Chitradurga by three vehicles, and our driver and conductor were assaulted over language issues. There was no provocation or ongoing agitation—this was a sudden attack. In light of the safety concerns for our staff and passengers, we decided to halt services temporarily.” 

Sarnaik added, “I will speak to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to take up the matter with his Karnataka counterpart. The Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute is not new—deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has even served jail time over this issue. We are Shiv Sainiks first and then ministers.” He also warned that Karnataka state-run buses entering Maharashtra could face repercussions. 

Meanwhile, Madhuri Misal, minister of state (MoS) for transport, said, “An FIR has been registered against the accused, and local police will take necessary action.”