Upping the ante on the Marathi mandate, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray has warned that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers who insist on speaking only in Hindi will be beaten up.
MNS leader’s reaction came after the Maharashtra government on Thursday gave auto-rickshaw, taxi and cab drivers one year to learn functional Marathi. “If it comes to our notice that an auto-rickshaw driver is speaking in Hindi or behaving rudely, then we will beat them. 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. The one-year extension came amid a legal challenge to the state government’s Marathi mandate for the auto and taxi driver. Four cab drivers have challenged the order in the Bombay High Court.
“Give them a 10-year extension. The Maharashtra government had made practical knowledge of Marathi mandatory for commercial passenger vehicle drivers, including auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based cab drivers, from August 12.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that representatives of drivers’ organisations had sought more time, saying that people of different ages and educational backgrounds work in the sector. Amit Thackeray, who is the son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, said his party would take action if complaints were received about auto-rickshaw drivers speaking in Hindi or behaving rudely with passengers. You understand that much,” he said. We have understood how much affection you have for the Marathi language and for our state,” he said.
