Mumbai Traffic Cop Says ‘No Rule’ to Use Marathi During Dispute with Woman Over Towing Incident
Mumbai Traffic Cop Says ‘No Rule’ to Use Marathi During Dispute with Woman Over Towing Incident
Mumbai witnessed a heated exchange on Wednesday when a traffic police constable told a female passenger that there is “no rule” requiring public announcements to be made in Marathi — despite official guidelines mandating Marathi usage for government employees.
The incident involved Anupriya Desai, a Goregaon resident, whose car was towed while she was out running errands. When she approached the traffic police vehicle, she noticed Constable P. N. Sabale making announcements in Hindi. Concerned, Desai repeatedly asked why announcements weren’t being made in Marathi, the state’s official language.
To her surprise, Sabale dismissed her concerns, claiming that no such rule existed. Desai said that the officer then adjusted the speaker settings following her queries. She recorded the entire interaction on video.
The incident has raised questions about language usage by public servants and adherence to state language policies in Maharashtra.
