BELAGAVI: While the situation is gradually limping back to normalcy after violent incidents were reported from the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, the transport corporations of both the states on Wednesday halted the movements of their respective vehicles to each other’s states. This has been done as a precautionary measure in the wake of attacks on buses on both sides of the border on Tuesday.
However, the movement of private vehicles remained unaffected across the border, although they were stopped by the police as part of intensified checks, post the protests and violence on both sides of the border.
Activists from pro-Maharashtra groups blackened signboards of Karnataka government buses and wrote pro-Marathi slogans on Karnataka buses in Solapur, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Chandgad, Baramati and Pune in Maharashtra over the past one week. Activists of pro-Kannada organisations, too, targeted vehicles coming into Karnataka from Maharashtra.
After the situation worsened on Tuesday, both the state governments on Wednesday morning initiated stringent measures to bring the situation under control. Fearing more such attacks, movement of all government buses from both the states has been stopped beyond the border.
According to sources, at least 200 buses from Karnataka to Maharashtra were halted at the border near Nipani and Kagwad towns on Wednesday.
Cases filed against kannada activists
On the other side, more than 70 Karnataka-bound Maharashtra government buses with passengers were stopped before entering Karnataka. A large number of passengers from both the states were struggling to catch private vehicles to cross the borders throughout the day.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday issued notices to the heads of 11 gram panchayats (GPs) in Akkalkot taluk, Solapur district of Maharashtra, for submitting a memorandum to Solapur DC seeking merger with Karnataka if their villages were not given the basic amenities by the Maharashtra government.
Sources said the police questioned the resolutions passed by the 11 GPs for their merger with Karnataka and said such decisions taken by the local bodies could lead to disturbances. “The leaders must take permission from the government before carrying out protests,’’ the notice said.
Meanwhile, the Hirebagewadi police in Belagavi district have filed FIRs against eight activists of Kannada organisations in connection with violent incidents of stone-throwing registered at Hirebagewadi toll plaza on Tuesday. Several Maharashtra buses and lorries were pelted with stones by the activists which had led to escalation of tensions on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.
Meanwhile, Belagavi Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Patil denied rumours of attacks on pilgrims at Yellamma Gudda in Saudatti and Godachi Veerabhadreshwar temple, located in Belagavi district. A large number of devotees from Maharashtra visit the two famous religious places on special occasions. He said attempts were being made to spread false stories about attacks on social media platforms.
The SP said there was a fair of Goddess Renuka Devi taking place at Yellammana Gudda on the occasion of ‘Hostila Hunnime’. There was also a fair at Godachi Veerabhadreshwara temple over the past few days. Over 50,000 devotees from neighbouring Maharashtra state visited the pilgrimage on the occasion. Unfortunately, false rumours were being spread on social media that pilgrims from Maharashtra were attacked and also that the police were stopping vehicles from the neighbouring states from entering the pilgrimage centres, he said.