Overview
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who spoke Friday at Mumbai’s Hutatma Chowk, urged residents to learn Marathi and said violence over language will not be tolerated.
- State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik’s plan to require non-Marathi-speaking auto and taxi drivers to learn the language has been deferred to August after unions opposed immediate enforcement.
- Raj Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena demanded cancellation of licences for drivers who refuse to speak Marathi, heightening the political fight over how to enforce the rule.
- Community outreach picked up on Maharashtra Day as the Uttar Bharatiya Sangh distributed sewing machines and announced Marathi classes for North Indian residents with a goal of basic fluency by August 15.
- Training drives are already starting, including a seven-day course for migrant rickshaw drivers in Thane, which points to a shift toward teaching over penalties and leaves open questions about future testing and licence actions.