Maharashtra's Marathi Compulsory Rule Sparks Debate Among Auto-Taxi Drivers

Speaking Marathi has been made compulsory for auto-taxi drivers in Maharashtra. Politics has intensified over this. AIMIM leader Waris Pathan has hit out at the Devendra Fadnavis government. He said that it is not right to bully and rig poor auto-rickshaw taxi drivers who work hard day and night for their livelihood. He demanded that the government give time to learn Marathi. He also questioned the state government whether it will force film stars and big industrialists living in Mumbai to speak Marathi. AIMIM leader Waris Pathan in a media interaction on Monday (August 24) said, "In Maharashtra, you have made speaking Marathi compulsory. It is a good thing, Marathi is a good language, but you should also think that India is secular, there are linguistic and multicultural people living here. People like us who work hard day and night for their livelihood in poor states."