‘Marathi will get priority, but…’: Devendra Fadnavis on language, driver licence rule

‘Marathi will get priority, but…’: Devendra Fadnavis on language, driver licence rule Devendra Fadnavis said the requirement had been portrayed as an attempt to impose Marathi, while the requirement involved only basic phrases. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said Marathi will be given priority in the state while stressing that people speaking other languages should not face discrimination, amid concerns over the requirement for passenger transport drivers to learn Marathi to obtain and retain their licences.

“We have never believed that languages should become a means of conflict,” Fadnavis said, adding that the BJP and the Mahayuti government had never allowed anyone to be treated unfairly on the basis of language. The chief minister said that the government’s position was to respect regional identity as well as every Indian language. Clarifying the BJP-led state government's position, he said, “Regional identity should be respected.