Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has been found smeared with black ink at Mahim bus stop in Maharashtra's capital, Mumbai, news agency ANI reported on Saturday. Multiple images were shared on social media that showed the defiled posters. This comes amid the ongoing border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka which has witnessed leaders of both states taking potshots at each other.
In a similar incident on Friday, a group of Pune-based pro-Maratha activists painted state-owned buses in the neighbouring state with pro-Maharashtra slogans. Condemning the incident, Bommai appealed to Eknath Shinde-led government to take immediate action to put an end to this. According to PTI, he said that such incident will create a split among the states and that Maharashtra must act swiftly.
While speaking to the media, the Karnataka CM said, “Our India is a union of states. Every state has got its own rights. These states were formed under the State Reorganisation Act. The law is very clear, and it is the duty of the respective government to maintain peace, law and order and see that there is peace and tranquillity between the states.”