MUMBAI: A major tussle broke out on Friday between Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers over the Maharashtra government’s decision to make speaking Marathi mandatory for auto and taxi drivers.
The Maharashtra government’s decision to mandate Marathi for auto and taxi drivers has taken an ugly turn, with a confrontation erupting between Shiv Sena’s North Indian leader Sanjay Nirupam and MNS workers.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has written a letter to Maharashtra Transport Minister and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, urging him to roll back the decision to make Marathi mandatory for auto and taxi drivers from May 1, 2026, failing which they would lose their driving licences.
Nirupam said they are not against learning Marathi, but it should not be made mandatory. He said no one can learn any language if it is enforced; the language should be learnt voluntarily, not forcefully.
As part of an outreach programme, Sanjay Nirupam met auto and taxi drivers to extend his support. During the meeting, MNS workers gathered and hurled slogans against his anti-Marathi stand. They also threw empty water bottles, following which the police intervened and escorted Mr Nirupam to safety.
MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) have extended their support to the Maharashtra government’s decision to make Marathi mandatory for auto and taxi drivers; if they fail to comply, their licences could allegedly be cancelled.
MNS youth leader Amit Thackeray said that if anyone is living in Maharashtra and earning their bread and butter in the state, they should learn the local language.
“If anyone is adamant and against learning Marathi in Maharashtra, they will see how they do not learn the Marathi language. We are with the state government and the people of Maharashtra. If the non-Marathi do not want to learn Marathi and work here, then they should surrender their driving licence, and those licences should be given to the Marathi people only,” Amit Thackeray said.
One of the auto drivers said that it is good that the state government has made Marathi speaking compulsory, but also appealed to passengers to speak in Marathi while using auto and taxi services.
He added that when the state government issued auto and taxi driving licences, it should have checked whether the applicant could speak Marathi.