Mumbai News: Maharashtra has given app-based cab companies three months to submit complete details of their drivers as the state moves to implement its Maharashtra Aggregator Policy 2026. The directive covers major platforms including Bharat Taxi, Rapido, Uber, Ola, Shalini Cabs and Cityflo. The companies have been asked to submit verified driver profiles, residence details, domicile certificates and other required documents to the transport department.
The exercise is being presented as both a passenger-safety measure and a welfare initiative for drivers. Once verified and found eligible, drivers can be enrolled with the Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb Maharashtra Auto Rickshaw and Taxi Driver-Owner Welfare Board, giving them and their families
access to welfare schemes and other benefits.
But one part of the policy is likely to attract particular attention: drivers are also expected to have practical knowledge of Marathi.
Why The Marathi Requirement Is Back In The Spotlight
The language requirement comes days after a viral exchange between actor Sanjay Dutt and Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik at a Dahi Handi event in Thane. Sarnaik, who has been at the centre of the push for Marathi knowledge among transport workers, jokingly told Dutt that he was now “teaching everyone Marathi” and asked the actor to speak in the language.
Sanjay Dutt responded with a joke about his time in Yerwada Jail. “Main 6 saal jail mein raha, Yerwada mein. Tab bhi Marathi nahi seekh paaya. Main thoda seekha tha,” he said, according to reports. The remark drew laughter from Sarnaik and the audience. Dutt then referred to his 25-year friendship with the minister.
The exchange might have remained a light-hearted stage moment, but it has now acquired a sharper political edge because the state is simultaneously tightening language and verification requirements for app-based transport drivers.
BJP MLA Questions The ‘Double Standard’
BJP MLA Narendra Mehta has criticised Sarnaik over the episode, arguing that the government cannot be strict with ordinary auto and taxi drivers over Marathi while laughing when a well-known actor says he could not learn the language.
Mehta said it was “shameful” that Sarnaik was laughing when Dutt made the remark, while the government was taking a tougher approach towards auto and taxi drivers.
Maharashtra BJP MLA Narendra Mehta-
“Its shameful that Shinde Sena Minister Pratap Sarnaik was laughing when Sanjay Dutt claimed he doesn’t know Marathi.
You harass and threaten auto drivers and act like this in front of an actor.” pic.twitter.com/ed31uufUu1
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) September 8, 2026
The criticism centres on a straightforward question: if Marathi is considered important for drivers who interact with passengers every day, should the expectation be applied consistently – or does it depend on who is being asked?
The controversy has also drawn criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who said Sarnaik should have told Dutt that he was in Maharashtra and should speak Marathi.
Government Says Driver Verification Is About Safety Too
The government, however, is linking the new exercise to more than language. Sarnaik has directed officials to scrutinise driver applications and documents carefully, with the stated aim of preventing accidents and criminal incidents involving app-based vehicles.
For passengers, the government says stronger verification should mean greater accountability over who is driving them. For drivers, successful verification is expected to bring formal recognition and access to welfare benefits.
The three-month exercise will therefore involve more than simply checking whether a driver speaks Marathi. Aggregators will have to compile and submit information covering identity, residence, domicile and other documents for drivers operating through their platforms.
What It Means For Uber And Ola Drivers
For thousands of app-based drivers, the immediate task is document verification. Drivers will have to be part of the verification process carried out through their respective aggregators, while the companies have been given three months to submit the required information to the transport department. Eligible drivers will then be issued official badges and can be brought under the state welfare board.
For commuters, the stated goal is a more accountable app-cab system, with better checks on driver identities and backgrounds.
But the Marathi requirement is likely to remain the most politically sensitive part of the policy – particularly after the Sanjay Dutt episode put the question of who is expected to learn Marathi, and who gets an exemption from the expectation, back in the spotlight.
The Sanjay Dutt Irony Has Given The Debate A New Turn
Sanjay Dutt’s comment was clearly delivered as humour, and reports say the audience laughed at the exchange. An old video of the actor speaking Marathi has also since resurfaced online, adding another layer to the debate.
But the timing has made the joke harder to separate from Maharashtra’s ongoing Marathi-language debate.
For an ordinary cab driver, Marathi knowledge is increasingly being treated as part of the requirements for operating through an app. For Dutt, the same subject became a joke on stage with the minister responsible for the policy.
That contrast – rather than Dutt’s joke itself – is now at the heart of the political criticism.
