Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday sought to defuse a growing confrontation with non-Marathi-speaking auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, saying the government expects only basic work-related Marathi and will not allow anyone's livelihood to be affected over language. The remarks came as protests over the state's Marathi proficiency drive disrupted traffic in parts of Mumbai.
Government's stance
Addressing reporters, Fadnavis said the government is not trying to make Hindi-speaking drivers experts in Marathi, but they should have a working knowledge of the language. "We are not trying to make our Hindi-speaking brothers experts in the Marathi language, but they should have working knowledge of the language," he said, adding that the deadline to learn the language has been extended three times.
The Chief Minister also assured that the Mahayuti government would not allow anyone to face injustice on the basis of language. He said the licences of North Indian drivers are not being cancelled and that the government is willing to extend the deadline if needed. "Our only expectation is that they should learn conversational Marathi," Fadnavis told reporters, as reported by India Today and India TV News.
Earlier, Fadnavis had addressed the panic directly: "There is no reason to make them experts in Marathi. They should know work-related, basic Marathi." He said drivers had already been given additional time to learn the language and asserted that no licence has been cancelled.
Protests and disruptions
The protests, described as widespread fear among drivers over rumoured steep fines, took place in several parts of Mumbai on Monday. Videos on social media showed demonstrations in Kandivali, Malad West, Santacruz and Andheri, according to India Today. A rasta-roko at Laljipada in Kandivali West in the morning caused a traffic jam on Link Road, slowing vehicle movement for around 20 minutes, with Free Press Journal reporting a similar disruption.
At some locations, some drivers were seen forcing passengers to get out of vehicles, and complaints of vehicle damage were reported, India Today said. Police dispersed protesters, but a driver near Oshiwara Mega Mall told the situation had turned tense. An unnamed auto-rickshaw driver told Free Press Journal, "There is a three-day auto-rickshaw strike. This has been called over the Marathi language directive. Nobody is listening to us. If you ask a 60-year-old person to suddenly speak Marathi, how will they do it? We want justice."
Union leaders, however, said no official strike or agitation was called. Tambi Kurian, general secretary of the Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union, appealed to drivers and commuters not to panic and to ignore unverified information. K K Tiwari, president of a taxi union, said about 20% of auto and Ola-Uber drivers participated in some areas, although union leaders did not support the shutdown.
Government's official process
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik clarified that drivers must first be given a month's time to learn the language before any action can be taken. He said the government resolution of August 12 requires RTO officials to issue a one-month notice to drivers who can lack working knowledge of Marathi, and that action would be taken against RTO officials if they fine drivers before this deadline.
Under the process, if drivers fail to meet the requirement after a month, their license and badge will be suspended, and then they get a three-month period. If still non-compliant, their license will be certified. Sarnaik also posted a video on X saying the government aims to create employment, not snatch it, and expects only the Marathi language requirement. He said he would request the government not to take immediate action and to give additional time.
Union demand for extension
Meanwhile, auto and taxi unions are seeking a three-month extension for drivers to comply with the requirement, along with a pause on punitive action. Shashank Rao, president of the Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taxi Tempo Union, said drivers should be given adequate time to learn the language without fear of losing their livelihood. "The union has sought a three-month extension and requested the government not to take punitive action against drivers during this period," he said.
K K Tiwari said the uncertainty among drivers was further fuelled by a Facebook message claiming that a strike would be held on August 24. He said around 80% of auto and Ola-Uber drivers participated in some areas. He maintained that the demand is for additional time to comply with the rule, not an exemption from learning Marathi.
Data on notices and assessment
The RTOs issued notices on August 20 to 1,268 commercial passenger vehicle drivers, and on August 21 to 1,499 non-Marathi-speaking drivers, according to Free Press Journal and India Today. India Today also reported that 1,65,600 non-Marathi drivers have attended Marathi classes so far.
RTO data dated August 21, reported by Free Press Journal, shows that of 9,233 drivers tested statewide, 1,499 failed. In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, 722 of 3,942 tested failed, while outside MMR, 777 of 5,291 failed.
Politicisation and political spat
Fadnavis also said the issue was being politicised, a comment that India TV News quoted. He insisted that no one's livelihood would be affected because of language, and that the government was willing to extend the deadline if needed.
In the same press interaction, Fadnavis attacked the Congress over women's reservation and delimitation, accusing the party of opposing women's reservation in 2023 but supporting it after knowing the bill would pass. He said delimitation was included in the women's reservation law, and that the census had been delayed due to COVID-19. According to Fadnavis, a new census by 2029 is not possible for the delimitation of national limits based on a fresh enumeration, and the government has suggested a mid-path using previous census data, which Congress is opposing.
Official notices and allegations
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam met transport minister Sarnaik and appealed for fines to be stopped. Nirupam alleged that fines up to Rs 25,000 were imposed on drivers without any notice. The demand comes amid reports of heavy fines and notices, which unions said have triggered anxiety among non-Marathi drivers. Although some of the alleged rumoured fines Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 were mentioned by a senior regional transport official at the Borivali RTO, who said misinformation had been spread among drivers.
Sarnaik's clarification, along with the government resolution, is aimed at ensuring that no driver is penalised without a due process. He said drivers who deliberately refuse to learn will eventually face action, including licence cancellation.
The protests in Mumbai on Monday, which mostly involved before morning traffic, had eased by the second half of the day, according to an unnamed union leader quoted by India Today. The leader insisted that no official union had called the strike and that the situation had returned to normal.
Perspectives
Government (Maharashtra state government)
The state, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, maintains that the Marathi proficiency drive aims only at ensuring basic conversational skill for work-related communication, not to make drivers often experts. It points to multiple deadline extensions, a structured notice and penalty process, and assures that no language based on injustice will be done and no livelihood and affected. The government also blames the protests on misinformation and politicisation of the issue.
Auto and taxi union leaders
Union leaders (Shashank Rao, K.K. Tiwari, Tambi Kurian) express support for the spirit of the requirement but ask for more time and a pause on punitive action. They argue that drivers are anxious and needed clarity, that they do not want exemption, and that recent notices and false reports have caused panic. They deliberately use had not called formal strikes, which they deprecate.
Protesting drivers
Drivers in some areas are opposing the assessment drive and the requirement to suddenly learn Marathi, calling it an economic threat and perceived as injustice. They have engaged in strikes and blockades.