No language should be politicised: Akhilesh Yadav on Marathi rule for auto, cab drivers

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday criticised the Maharashtra government’s rule making Marathi mandatory for auto-rickshaw and cab drivers in the state, saying that no language should be “politicised” as it creates “distance and discord in the country’s linguistic and emotional unity”.

The Bharatiya Janata Party government on April 14 made basic knowledge of Marathi mandatory for all licensed taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers from May 1. The requirement also applies to drivers working with cab aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.

However, on April 29, it deferred the implementation of the decision until August 15.

A statewide inspection campaign to enforce the rule began on Thursday. As of Saturday, the Maharashtra Transport Department had issued notices to more than 770 drivers for lacking basic knowledge of Marathi.

The Regional Transport Office has deployed marshals to conduct language tests on roads, at rickshaw stands and at junctions.

Among the questions asked by the marshals in Marathi are “Where do you want to go?”, “Please start the meter” and “Do you have change?”

In a social media post, Yadav asked whether the language requirement for auto-rickshaw drivers not violate their constitutional right to carry out business in any part of the country.

He also asked why the same requirement was not being imposed on foreign companies operating in Mumbai.

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