Shiv Sena (UBT) workers blacken Karnataka buses in Pune after Marathi driver assaulted in Chitradurga

PUNE: Shiv Sena (UBT) workers staged a protest in Pune’s Swargate area on Saturday night, blackening buses with Karnataka number plates. This action followed the assault of a Marathi-speaking bus driver in Chitradurga, who was allegedly attacked for not speaking in Kannada.

According to the police, action will be taken against those responsible for blackening the buses.

“As soon as we got to know that Shiv Sena (UBT) workers were going to come here and do something, we immediately dispatched force. They were successful in spraying black colour on one bus. Not much damage has been done,” DCP Smartana Patil told ANI.

“The accused have been detained by the police, and legal action will follow… 4-5 people have been detained, but others will be identified soon on the basis of video recordings,” she added.

On Friday night, a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) driver was assaulted while on duty in Chitradurga, Karnataka, according to Abhijit Bhosale, CPRO of MSRTC.

#WATCH | Pune: Shiv Sena (UBT) workers staged a protest and blackened the buses with Karnataka number plates in the Swargate area of Pune city after a Marathi-speaking bus driver was assaulted in Belagavi, for allegedly not speaking in Kannada. (22.02) pic.twitter.com/SJ3s0s42p5

— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2025

After the incident, MSRTC cancelled the service of its buses going from Kolhapur to Karnataka.”As per the directions of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, ST buses going from Kolhapur to Karnataka state have been cancelled for an indefinite period for the safety of passengers and employees travelling in Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses,” Bhosale said.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Sarnaik spoke to the injured driver, Shri Bhaskar Jadhav, over the phone and reassured him, stating, “You are not alone in this matter; our government stands firmly behind you.”

He also emphasized that unless the Karnataka government takes a clear stance on this issue and engages in discussions with the Maharashtra government, ST bus services in the affected area will remain suspended.

The incident occurred on the night of February 21, when a bus (MH14 K Q 7714) travelling from Bangalore to Mumbai was stopped two kilometres behind Chitradurga. Activists from a Karnataka-based organisation allegedly attacked the bus and assaulted the driver, Bhaskar Jadhav, who was on duty, said MSRTC. (ANI)