Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday reacted to Marathi being made compulsory for auto and taxi drivers in the state, saying that similar language norms exist in other states as well.

Raut said, "West Bengal must have Bengali compulsory, in Gujarat--Gujarati, Kannada in Karnataka, Punjabi in Punjab... So, when we want the same thing for Maharashtra, then what is the problem?"

He further added, "Disrespecting Marathi for the sake of vote banks...this won't work...This is for their own good... Knowing the language of the locals will only help the drivers themselves."

This comes after the state Transport Minister earlier this month announced that knowledge of the Marathi language would be made compulsory for drivers of auto-rickshaws and taxis across Maharashtra. As part of the proposed move, the state government plans to begin verification of documents as well as drivers' Marathi language proficiency from May 1.

Earlier on April 23, Sarnaik reflected on the attempts being made to "promote and propagate Marathi" among the auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in the state, adding that a meeting will be held with the trade union leader on April 28.

The State Transport Minister said that the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh will be teaching Marathi to the taxi drivers, while the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad will also jointly teach Marathi in the Konkan region.

"The Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh has taken up the responsibility of teaching Marathi to auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers in their various branches across the state. This will promote and propagate Marathi. The Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad will also jointly teach Marathi in the Konkan region," he said during PC.

He further stated that a meeting with several union leaders will be held to take suggestions on the matter. "A meeting will be held with Shashank Rao (Trade Union Leader- Auto Rickshaws and Taxi Drivers) on April 28th. We will meet with several union leaders to discuss their views. We will listen to them and present our own. If there are any suggestions, we will implement them," Sarnaik said.

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Transport Minister Sarnaik warned that action will be taken against those who do not follow the rules after checking by May 1.

Drivers will be required to show they can read, write, and speak Marathi as part of the new initiative. This pilot project aims to tackle irregularities in issuing transport licences and will be rolled out statewide over time