📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Everhard van Eimeren
Politics
Chhath Songs at Mumbai Railway Stations Spark Political Row
✍️ India.com
🗓 14 Nov 2026, 08:34 AM
👁 24
Chhath festival songs played at several Mumbai railway stations have drawn criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, sparking a political dispute over cultural expression.
The Chhath festival, traditionally celebrated by the Yadav and other communities, saw its devotional songs broadcast across multiple Mumbai railway stations during the festival season.
The broadcasts, intended to spread the festival’s spirit among commuters, were met with objections from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who argued that the songs promoted a specific community’s religious practices.
Both parties demanded that the railway authorities cease the transmissions, citing concerns over communal harmony and the secular nature of public transport spaces.
The Railway Board has yet to issue a formal response, but officials have indicated that they will review the matter in consultation with the state government and relevant cultural bodies.
The incident has highlighted the delicate balance between cultural celebrations and the need for inclusive public spaces in Mumbai’s bustling transit hubs.
The broadcasts, intended to spread the festival’s spirit among commuters, were met with objections from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who argued that the songs promoted a specific community’s religious practices.
Both parties demanded that the railway authorities cease the transmissions, citing concerns over communal harmony and the secular nature of public transport spaces.
The Railway Board has yet to issue a formal response, but officials have indicated that they will review the matter in consultation with the state government and relevant cultural bodies.
The incident has highlighted the delicate balance between cultural celebrations and the need for inclusive public spaces in Mumbai’s bustling transit hubs.