Border dispute: Fewer devotees from Maharashtra for temple fair in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: With both Karnataka and Maharashtra halting bus services after Tuesday's ruckus at the border, the festival of deity Renuka Yallamma at Savadatti in Belagavi district has been badly affected.
Bus services were suspended on Wednesday after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists blackened Karnataka buses at a Pune bus station.
Lakhs of devotees gather at the temple during Hostila Hunnime, which commenced on Wednesday, and most are from Maharashtra. “We usually see four to five lakh devotees during the yatra, but thistime hardly 1. 5 lakh devotees attended,” said Basavaraj Jeergal, administrator of the temple. “This is the first time are we seeing such low numbers after the pandemic. ”
Many devotees scrapped plans of visiting after some miscreants in Nasik created panic by spreading rumours that Maharashtra vehicles were being targeted at Savadatti. They even uploaded fake videos of old incidents on social media platforms.
Sanjeev Patil, Belagavi SP, clarified that no untoward incident occurred in Savadatti or anywhere else in the district on Wednesday.
“Before the suspension of bus services, some 100 Maharashtra buses that were hired on contract had arrived at Savadatti and are parked at the temple premises,” Patil said. “We have provided security and will ensure they return safely. ”
About 490 buses from Belagavi and Chikodi divisions of NWKRTC ply to Maharashtra,while around 300 Maharashtra buses ply to Karnataka daily. NWKRTC incurs losses of about Rs 40 lakh for each day services are suspended.
Complaint filed
Hirebagewadi police filed a suo moto complaint against 12 Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayan Gowda faction) activists on Wednesday, in connection with vandalising and blackening lorries registered in Maharashtra on Tuesday. Meanwhile, condemning the attack on Karnataka buses, KRV activists (Shivarame Gowda faction) took out a protest rally from Sangolli Rayanna Circle to the DC’s office on Wednesday.