Archive · 13 Aug 2026
SP leader slams Maharashtra govt over Marathi mandate for drivers
In Mumbai, India, people who drive taxis and auto-rickshaws are being told to learn Marathi, the local language, by August 15.
A politician named Abu Azmi says this is unfair to many drivers.
He says many drivers come from other parts of India, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, to earn a living in Mumbai.
Azmi thinks these workers help Mumbai grow and do important jobs that keep the city running.
He asked the government to give drivers six more months, and even said they could learn slowly over one to three years.
He suggested the government start Marathi classes, give out free books, and teach the language in schools.
Azmi says if drivers lose their licenses, they could face poverty and hunger.
He remembered that when workers left the city during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumbai really struggled.
He also believes the government made this decision to win votes, not to help people.
But the transport minister, Pratap Sarnaik, said the government will not change the August 15 deadline.
Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi slammed the Maharashtra government over its August 15 deadline requiring taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers to learn Marathi, calling it a 'great injustice.'
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the government will not extend the August 15 deadline for non-Marathi drivers.
Azmi warned the mandate could halt Mumbai's growth and penalize migrant workers who drive vehicles and serve the city.
He urged a six-month extension and a gradual approach, proposing Marathi classes, compulsory Marathi in schools and free books over one to three years.
Azmi said the chief minister assured him there would be no such problems, and accused the decision of being 'nothing but politics for votes.'
- Who
- Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi; Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik; the Maharashtra chief minister
- What
- A political dispute over the August 15 deadline requiring taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers to learn Marathi.
- When
- August 13, ahead of the August 15 deadline.
- Where
- Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- Azmi says the mandate is a great injustice to migrant drivers and could stall Mumbai's growth, while the government has refused to extend the deadline.
Maharashtra government's stance
SP leader Abu Azmi's stance
Extending the Marathi learning deadline
Maharashtra government's stance
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the government will not extend the August 15 deadline for non-Marathi taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers to learn Marathi.
SP leader Abu Azmi's stance
Azmi urged the government to extend the deadline by six months and adopt a gradual approach, letting drivers learn Marathi over one to three years without losing licenses.
Fairness to migrant workers
Maharashtra government's stance
The government is enforcing the language mandate as decided, with the minister confirming no extension will be given.
SP leader Abu Azmi's stance
Azmi said penalizing workers who drive vehicles and serve Mumbai would be a 'great injustice,' causing starvation and poverty and stopping Mumbai's pace; he called the decision 'politics for votes.'
- Deadline
- August 15, for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers to learn Marathi
- Government position
- No extension of the deadline, per Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik
- SP MLA's demand
- Six-month extension; gradual learning over one to three years
- Critic
- Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi, from Mankhurd, Mumbai
- Proposed measures
- Marathi classes, compulsory Marathi in schools, free books
- Azmi's claim about chief minister
- Assured him there would be no such problems
- Azmi's allegation
- The decision is 'nothing but politics for votes'