Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy visits Belagavi hospital, inquires about bus conductor’s health

BELAGAVI: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy visited the BIMS Hospital in Belagavi and inquired about the health of Mahadevappa Hukkeri, the bus conductor who was assaulted following a dispute over language in Belagavi.

Mahadevappa Hukkeri has been receiving treatment at Belagavi BIMS Hospital for the past three days. The bus driver and Mahadevappa Hukkeri of the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) was allegedly assaulted by a group of Marathi-speaking youths for not being able to speak in Marathi last Friday at near Sulebhavi.

Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “Not only the Karnataka Road Transport department, everyone is in support of the bus conductor. The police-registered POCSO case against the bus conductor is bogus”. So far, five accused have been arrested in connection with the assault.

Earlier, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil condemned the recent assault on a KSRTC bus conductor in Belagavi, allegedly for not speaking in Marathi. The minister described the incident, which has sparked outrage, as “unfortunate”.

“It is unfortunate that some incidents like these are happening. They have disturbed the society,” Patil said. He assured people that the Karnataka government would take all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. “The government of Karnataka will make all efforts to ensure that this type of unnecessary event does not take place”, he said.

The bus conductor was attacked by some Marathi-speaking men.

Police said that last Saturday, that they received a complaint from the girl’s side also who alleged that the conductor made indecent remarks. A boy and girl who had boarded the semi-urban CBT-Sulebhavi bus had allegedly threatened the conductor as he was not able to speak in Marathi. They called their accomplices who arrived and assaulted the conductor.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy asserted that the police took swift action in the matter. “The police took action and the court has sent the accused to 14 days judicial custody. The law will take action. The police have acted swiftly”, Reddy said.

Congress MLA and KSRTC chairman NA Haris said the government had taken action in the matter. “Every local should try to speak in Kannada. If you don’t know it, then you should not be attacking the person who is asking you to do it. That is not fair. The government has taken action, and they have been arrested. We will not spare them as it is not acceptable”, Haris said. (ANI)