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The Maharashtra government led by the minister of transport, Pratap Sarnaik, has thrown a spanner in the works with a strong defense of the policy requiring knowledge of Marathi for autowallahs and taxi drivers. A major debate now has started across Maharashtra, with Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik defending the Maharashtra government's policy of mandating knowledge of Marathi for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers. Speaking about this ongoing controversy, Sarnaik said, "Shah Rukh Khan didn't get a permit; we auto and taxi drivers took it.

The minister said they don't need any permits by the transport department to use their cars for themselves for celebrities like SRK and Salman Khan or industrialists like Ambani and Adani. Commercial vehicle drivers of public service vehicles, however, will have to follow all the conditions and will be required to have a basic understanding of Marathi to communicate with locals.

The government of Maharashtra had earlier stated that the condition for automobile and taxi drivers to get permits or renew them would be that they must be able to read, write, and speak Marathi. A special verification drive was planned to be held May 1, but the government later decided to go for scheduled awareness and training, rather than cancelling or stopping from May 1 until August 15.

This transfer has generated a mixture of good and bad feelings. Some people say that it's good for your passengers' experience and will encourage the use of the local language, while others say it's impractical and discriminatory against migrant drivers. Unions have voiced their concerns, but the minister has stated his training support will be provided.

The controversy has once again reared its ugly head in Maharashtra, and people's opinions on this issue have been strong everywhere, even from political parties.