Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray has escalated the political debate over the use of Marathi in the state's transport sector, warning that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers who speak only in Hindi or allegedly behave rudely with passengers could face physical action from his party. His remarks came a day after the Maharashtra government gave commercial passenger vehicle drivers another year to learn functional Marathi. Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, said the party would intervene if it received complaints about drivers speaking Hindi to passengers or treating them improperly. He issued the warning while defending the MNS's position that Marathi should be used in Maharashtra and objecting to what he described as attempts to impose Hindi on people in the state.

“If it comes to our notice that an auto-rickshaw driver is speaking in Hindi or behaving rudely, then we will beat them,” Thackeray said. He added that people should not be told they have to speak Hindi or what he referred to as “UP's language”, insisting that Marathi would be spoken in Maharashtra. His comments followed the state government's decision on Thursday to extend the deadline for auto-rickshaw, taxi and cab drivers to learn functional Marathi by one year. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said representatives of driver organisations had sought additional time, citing the varied ages and educational backgrounds of people working in the commercial transport sector.

The government had previously required drivers covered by the policy to demonstrate functional knowledge of Marathi. The extension means drivers will receive additional time to acquire the required language skills instead of facing immediate consequences for failing to meet the earlier deadline. The decision has nevertheless drawn criticism from the MNS, which has consistently pushed for stronger enforcement of Marathi-language requirements. Thackeray also directly targeted Fadnavis over the decision. He alleged that political considerations connected to the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections were being given priority over the interests of Marathi speakers in Maharashtra. His criticism adds a political dimension to what the government has described as a practical extension requested by representatives of the transport sector.

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The language issue has been a recurring source of political tension in Maharashtra, particularly involving the MNS. The party has long campaigned for the prominence of Marathi in public life and has previously confronted businesses and service providers over language-related issues. The latest dispute centres on whether drivers serving passengers in the state should be required to possess functional knowledge of Marathi. Fadnavis, meanwhile, has defended the decision to provide additional time, pointing to the diversity of the commercial transport workforce. Drivers come from different age groups and educational backgrounds, and the government's extension is intended to allow them more time to meet the language requirement. Thackeray's threat of physical action has, however, shifted the focus from the policy itself to the manner in which the MNS intends to enforce its position.

A warning that drivers could be beaten for speaking Hindi or allegedly behaving rudely has the potential to intensify tensions between language groups and raise concerns over vigilantism. The remarks also come amid a broader debate over the role of Hindi and regional languages in Maharashtra. While the state government has sought to promote functional Marathi among drivers, the MNS has argued for a more uncompromising approach. Thackeray's comments indicate that the party is unlikely to accept the one-year extension without continued political pressure. For now, the government has given drivers an additional year to learn functional Marathi, while the MNS is demanding a stricter approach. Thackeray's criticism of Fadnavis and his warning to drivers have added a sharper political edge to the issue, with the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections now also featuring in the dispute over Maharashtra's language policy.

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