Maharashtra: Sarnaik Defends Mandatory Marathi Rule, Slams Akhilesh Yadav
“Every state’s mother tongue should be respected and promoted, but no language should be politicised": Mr Yadav
MUMBAI: After former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the Maharashtra government’s decision to make working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Baburao Sarnaik asked him to focus on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections instead of Maharashtra’s affairs. Defending the decision, Mr Sarnaik accused Mr Yadav of failing to create sufficient employment opportunities during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
The Maharashtra Transport Department, meanwhile, has directed its Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to enforce the requirement that taxi and autorickshaw drivers possess a working knowledge of Marathi.
Drivers found unable to demonstrate adequate knowledge of the language are being served notices and given one month to learn Marathi. Those who fail to comply could have their badges suspended for three months. Continued refusal to learn the language could eventually result in cancellation of both their badges and permits.
Mr Yadav said while regional languages should be respected and promoted, governments should not turn language into a political or employment-related barrier. He warned that making knowledge of a State’s local language compulsory for those seeking work could deepen linguistic divisions across the country.
In a post on X, Mr Yadav said, “Every state’s mother tongue should be respected and promoted, but no language should be politicised. This creates distance and discord in the country’s linguistic and emotional unity.”
However, Mr Sarnaik said the Samajwadi Party chief should concentrate on the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. He took aim at Mr Yadav’s record as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, accusing him of failing to generate enough employment in the State and arguing that this had contributed to people from Uttar Pradesh and other parts of North India seeking livelihoods in Maharashtra.
“Maharashtra has been providing livelihood to North Indians for the last 40-50 years. You could not generate employment during your tenure, so these people came to Maharashtra and we accepted them. We supported them like our brothers,” Mr Sarnaik said.
At the same time, Mr Sarnaik cautioned RTO officials against prematurely penalising drivers. He said officials who wrongly impose fines before the expiry of the one-month period could face action.
According to the Minister, the August 12 government resolution provides drivers without a working knowledge of Marathi with a month’s time to learn the language before any punitive action is taken.
Mr Sarnaik, however, made it clear that drivers who deliberately refuse to learn Marathi despite being given the stipulated time would be liable for action.
