"Don't strike at the stomachs of Marathi rickshaw drivers": Sanjay Raut urges Maharashtra Transport Minister

Raut's appeal to the transport minister

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has urged Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to reconsider the government's decision to allow app-based bike taxi services, warning that the move could adversely affect thousands of auto-rickshaw drivers who depend on the profession for their livelihood.

In a letter dated August 23, Raut said he was raising the issue on behalf of unemployed and working Marathi youth and claimed that many young people across the state depend on driving auto-rickshaws to support their families. He said that during his visit to Nashik on August 16, more than 100 Marathi youths met him and expressed concerns over their livelihoods.

In the letter, Raut wrote: "Today, not thousands but lakhs of youths in the state depend on driving rickshaws for their livelihood. As the government is not providing employment, graduates and educated youths can be seen driving rickshaws day and night."

Raut specifically named Rapido, Ola, and Uber as bike taxi companies that would compete with auto-rickshaw drivers. He wrote: "Now your government has taken a decision that bike taxi services will be started through Ola, Uber and the 'Rapido app'. The biggest impact of these 'Rapido' bike taxis will be on rickshaw drivers at tourist destinations in several cities. The decision taken by the Transport Ministry regarding 'Rapido' bike taxis is pushing Marathi unemployed rickshaw drivers across the state towards suicide."

Raut urged the government not to "hit the stomachs of Marathi rickshaw drivers" and called for engagement with auto-rickshaw driver representatives and democratic protest channels. He also claimed that auto-rickshaw drivers' organisations had been attempting to meet the Transport Minister to discuss the issue, and that a planned march from Nashik to Mantralaya on August 10 was denied permission.

Language checks and protests

The appeal comes as the Maharashtra Transport Department began Marathi language checks on drivers on August 20. Officials test drivers through simple conversations about destinations, fares, routes, and other passenger exchanges. On the first day, 8,217 drivers were checked and 1,268 were served notices for failing to show the required working knowledge of Marathi.

Drivers who fail are given a month to learn the language and appear for a re-test; a second failure can lead to a three-month suspension, with stronger action for repeat violations. Minister Sarnaik has defended the rule, saying drivers who deal with passengers should be able to communicate in Marathi. The government had also conducted a training programme before starting the checks.

The checks have led some drivers to stay off key routes, affecting the availability of autos and taxis in parts of Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. On August 21, auto drivers blocked the Kandivali Link Road and began a three-day protest against the language checks. One protester said: "We are 55-60-year-olds. We have never been to a school. How can we speak Marathi? Had we been educated, we would have been sitting in an office."

Reactions from unions and political figures

Shashank Rao, president of the Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taximen's Union, sought a three-month extension for drivers to complete Marathi training, saying available training centres were insufficient for the workforce. Haji Arfat Sheikh, president of the Maharashtra BJP Transport Cell, sought another 100 days for non-Marathi-speaking drivers to complete their training.

Raut also alleged that Rapido has business and financial links with some ministers and that the company has sponsored political and cultural programmes. These allegations were not addressed in the available reporting.

Political context and the two Senas

Raut had earlier backed the language requirement. In April, he said that people who come to Maharashtra for work should learn Marathi and respect the local language. The issue for Uddhav's party now, according to a political observer cited in The Indian Express, is not whether Marathi should be spoken, but who can claim to speak for Marathi workers.

The observer said: "The Shinde Sena has the government and the rule it is enforcing. The Uddhav Sena has the old political association with the Marathi plank and is trying to attach that issue to the livelihood of Marathi workers. ... The political question for the two Senas is therefore no longer simply who supports Marathi. It is who can claim to represent the Marathi manoos in everyday life."

For the Shinde-led faction, the language checks demonstrate that Marathi is being made part of the rules governing public transport, not left to speeches alone. For the Uddhav-led faction, the focus on bike taxis and livelihoods offers a way to claim the Marathi cause in everyday economic terms. The two narratives reflect a broader political competition between the factions over who genuinely represents Marathi interests.

Background on bike taxi regulation

In 2025, Maharashtra cracked down on illegal bike taxi services, seizing 72 cars during raids at 138 locations in one incident, in coordination with RTOs and police. Some app-based companies and drivers were found violating permit rules and engaging in illegal transportation activities. Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 requires a valid permit to operate any passenger transport service. These enforcement actions were reported by ANI.