Mumbai: The Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute seems to be heating up. After the statement of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the protest started in Karnataka against the visit of two ministers of Maharashtra to Belagavi has now reached Maharashtra. At several places in Maharashtra, including Nashik and Solapur, protesters on Wednesday blackened Karnataka buses, Karnataka Bank signboards and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's photo.

Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde government said that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has suspended bus service to Karnataka. A decision will be taken to resume the services after getting clearance from the police regarding the safety of passengers and buses. He said that this has been done after a security alert by the police that during the agitation, buses from Maharashtra may be attacked in Karnataka.

According to media reports, activists of Swarajya Sangathan blackened the 'signboard' of Karnataka Bank in Nashik city on Wednesday amidst the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. They wrote 'Jai Maharashtra' on the shutter of the bank and raised slogans against the Karnataka government. Sambhajiraje Bhosle Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founded the Swarajya organization. At least 20 activists dressed in black and holding saffron flags staged a protest at the Canada Corner branch of Karnataka Bank in the morning.

'Swarajya Sangathan' spokesperson Karan Gaikar said that if Karnataka organizations feel that they have achieved a lot by damaging vehicles from Maharashtra, then we warn them that we will not allow even a single vehicle from Karnataka to enter Maharashtra. Will not let you do it. We will not allow the people of Karnataka to do any business here. Let us tell you that the decades-old dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka regarding the claim on Belagavi district had caught fire on Tuesday. During this, vehicles entering Maharashtra from Karnataka were pelted with stones.