Maharashtra Government Suspends Bus Services To Karnataka Amid Border Dispute

The State Transport Department stated that the decision was being taken after the police department raised a security alert claiming that buses might be attacked in Karnataka during the agitations

New Delhi: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Wednesday said it has suspended bus services to Karnataka after a security alert was flagged by the police.

The State Transport Department stated that the decision was being taken after the police department raised a security alert claiming that buses might be attacked in Karnataka during the agitations related to the ongoing Maharashtra-Karnataka dispute, the ANI reported.

"A call to resume services will be taken after a clearance from Police about safety & security of the passengers and the buses," ANI reported citing the MAHA government.

The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that he would speak with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the ongoing Maharashtra-Karnataka border conflict.

Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis said that he had spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai over the incidents that took place on Tuesday.

"I myself spoke to the Chief Minister of Karnataka. We ensure Sharad Pawar saheb has no need to go to Karnataka. I will talk to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about this Karnataka dispute, and he will look into this matter soon," ANI reported quoting Fadnavis.

He further urged the people of both states to maintain peace and not take law and order into their hands, "Maharashtra is known for law and order and I request Maharashtra people don't take law and order in their hands and maintain peace in borders. It is also the responsibility of Karnataka to maintain law and order in their areas too. I told them that this type of incident was not right and it will not happen again. Stone pelting and destroying public buses are not right for both ends," said the Deputy Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai and his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde spoke on the phone on Tuesday about the issue and agreed that both states should maintain peace, law, and order.

Karnataka CM Bommai tweeted, "Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde had telephonic discussion with me, we both agreed that there should be peace and law and order to be maintain in both the states."

Bommai further wrote, "Since there is harmonious relation between the people of both the states, however there is no change in our stand as far as Karnataka border is concerned. And the legal battle will be pursued in Supreme court."

The border dispute between the two states goes back to the implementation of the State Reorganization Act, of 1956.

The then Maharashtra government had demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka. Following this, a four-member committee was formed by both states. The Maharashtra government had expressed willingness to transfer predominantly 260 predominantly Kannada-speaking villages, but Karnataka turned down the proposal.

Both Karnataka and Maharashtra governments have now approached the Supreme Court to expedite the matter, which is still pending.

(With inputs from ANI)