Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray has issued a strong warning to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers amid the ongoing debate over Marathi language requirements in the state.
Thackeray’s remarks came after the Maharashtra government decided to give auto-rickshaw, taxi and cab drivers an additional year to learn functional Marathi. The government said the extension was granted after representatives of drivers’ organisations requested more time to meet the language requirement.
The MNS leader said his party would intervene if passengers complained about drivers allegedly behaving rudely or insisting that people communicate only in Hindi.
Amit Thackeray Issues Warning to Drivers
Addressing the language dispute, Thackeray said drivers should not trouble passengers over the language they speak.
He warned that the MNS would respond if complaints were received about drivers speaking Hindi or behaving improperly with passengers.
“If you trouble people, you will get beaten up. Don’t tell people that they have to speak UP’s language or that they have to speak Hindi. We will speak in Marathi. You understand that much,” he said.
Thackeray also said that if an auto-rickshaw driver was found speaking Hindi or behaving rudely with passengers, the MNS would take action.
His comments come amid renewed political debate over the use of Marathi in Maharashtra’s public and commercial spaces.
Amit Thackeray Questions Fadnavis Government
Thackeray also criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the decision to provide drivers with another year to acquire functional Marathi skills.
He questioned whether political considerations, including the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, had influenced the government’s approach to the language issue.
“What kind of desperation has come upon you that we should set aside our own language and our own state? Somewhere, as a Chief Minister, you should take a stand. I did not like it.”
The MNS leader’s remarks add to the political pressure surrounding the government’s decision, with the Marathi language once again becoming a prominent issue in Maharashtra politics.
Fadnavis Explains One-Year Extension
Fadnavis defended the decision, saying representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi unions had approached him seeking additional time.
The Chief Minister pointed out that people working in the transport sector come from different age groups and educational backgrounds, making it necessary to provide some additional time for those who have yet to acquire functional Marathi skills.
“Representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi driver unions from Mumbai met me today. While they acknowledge the need to know Marathi, they requested an additional year to learn the language. I have decided to grant this one-year extension,” he said.
The government has therefore extended the deadline by one year, allowing drivers additional time to meet the language requirement.
Eknath Shinde Praises Drivers Learning Marathi
Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde distributed certificates to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers who had successfully completed a Marathi language proficiency course.
Shinde said auto-rickshaw operators had cooperated with the initiative and learned Marathi as a mark of respect and affection for the state’s primary language.
The latest exchange between Amit Thackeray and the Maharashtra government has once again brought the Marathi language issue into the political spotlight, with questions likely to continue over how the language requirement should be implemented without creating conflict between drivers and passengers.
