Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stepped forward to address the ongoing controversy surrounding the mandatory requirement of learning Marathi for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in the state. Emphasizing that unnecessary politics is being played out over the issue, the Chief Minister assured that the state administration will not allow anyone's livelihood to be compromised. He categorically stated that no licenses of North Indian auto and taxi drivers operating within Maharashtra are being cancelled by the authorities.
Fadnavis added that if the drivers require additional time to pick up conversational Marathi, the government is fully prepared to extend the prescribed deadline. The administration's only expectation is that drivers learn basic spoken Marathi for smooth daily interactions. He firmly reiterated that the government will ensure no injustice is meted out to any working-class individual in the state.
Attacking Congress on Women's Reservation and Delimitation
Shifting focus to national policy matters, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a sharp attack on Congress and P. Chidambaram over the implementation of women's reservation and the delimitation process, accusing them of spreading falsehoods. He asserted that back in 2023, Congress was fundamentally opposed to women's reservation, but realizing that the ruling coalition commanded a solid majority to pass the bill, the opposition party simply went along with the flow to claim incidental credit.
Fadnavis explained that the delimitation clause was inherently linked to the women's reservation legislation passed in 2023. However, due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, the regular census could not be conducted, making a fresh census unfeasible before the year 2029. Consequently, carrying out delimitation based on new census data is practically impossible right now. To navigate this administrative hurdle, the government has proposed a middle path by suggesting delimitation based on the older census figures.
Accusing Congress of Obstructing Women's Empowerment
Levelling serious accusations, Fadnavis claimed that Congress is opposing this practical solution precisely because the party harbors an unwillingness to grant political reservation to women. He asserted that Congress intends to stall women's reservation well past 2029 through continuous obstruction.
The controversy gained momentum after reports emerged that non-Marathi speaking auto and taxi drivers were protesting against punitive actions taken by the Regional Transport Office. The situation escalated in Kurla, where drivers initiated a flash strike and halted their services. These protesting drivers have openly alleged that the administrative crackdown on them is entirely driven by petty politics.
