Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has condemned the recent violence in Belagavi, where a KSRTC bus conductor was allegedly beaten up on February 22 for not speaking in Marathi.
Addressing the ongoing Maharashtra-Karnataka bus service controversy, Joshi stated, “Damaging public property is not a correct thing.”
The incident has reignited the long-standing border and language dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka, with Belagavi being at the center of tensions. Pro-Marathi groups have demanded stronger protection for Marathi speakers in Karnataka, while Kannada activists have pushed back against such claims.
Amid political reactions from both states, Joshi urged for calm and dialogue, emphasizing that violence and destruction of public property only escalate tensions rather than resolve them.
