Raj Thackeray accuses BJP over Chhath songs at Mumbai stations; Nirupam, BJP spokesperson hit back

A fresh controversy has erupted in Maharashtra after Bhojpuri songs were played at some railway stations in Mumbai on the occasion of Chhath Puja. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has levelled direct allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue. Sanjay Nirupam, a leader of the Shiv Sena, and a BJP spokesperson have responded.

Chhath Bhojpuri songs were played at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and some suburban stations on the Central and Western Railway lines. Stations at Virar, Nalasopara and on the Kalyan-Kasara route have been named. The songs were played to welcome and inform passengers coming to Mumbai from North India, especially Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The MNS and some Marathi organisations strongly objected. MNS workers had the songs stopped at some stations.

MNS workers also turned aggressive over the celebration of Chhath Puja at beaches such as Juhu, Santacruz and Versova, and over security. They went to the Santacruz police station and demanded that these events not be permitted and that permissions already granted be cancelled. Organisations such as the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti also objected. They demanded controls on such festivals to prevent environmental damage to public tourist spots, chowpatties and ponds, and inconvenience to local residents. They also warned against spreading linguistic tension in Maharashtra.

Raj Thackeray clarified the party's stand in a long social media post. He said the BJP and its "poisonous" social media network, which it has nurtured, are making every effort to create conflict in Mumbai and Maharashtra over Chhath Puja. According to him, reels about the puja and alleged cultural attacks are being posted for this purpose, and Bhojpuri songs were tried out at some stations, which the MNS had stopped. Thackeray said the BJP regrets that the conflict it wants has not materialised so far. He alleged that the whole effort is aimed at the coming Uttar Pradesh elections.

Thackeray said the intellectual capacity of the BJP's think tank appears to be weakening and that the "divide and rule" formula will no longer work. He alleged that Hindu-Muslim disputes are stoked at the time of Lok Sabha elections and caste divisions are poisoned at the time of state elections. According to him, a Gujarati versus Marathi dispute was stirred up last year over the pigeon feeding spots (kabutarkhana) to win the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election. He also said the BJP cannot win elections by showing work, so it pits two groups against each other. In his words, the real work is done by the Election Commission. He claimed that since the Gen Z movement, the BJP's descent from power, from the Centre to the states, has begun.

Thackeray alleged that the BJP has ruined the state of the country and destroyed mutual harmony and tolerance. He said Maharashtra is being sold to a single industrialist on the Centre's orders, with forests and land being handed over. He told Marathi people they need not fight on ground laid by the BJP, that they should remember Shivaji Maharaj's guerrilla warfare strategy, and that a decision would be taken at the right time. He told North Indians and the Gujarati community that they are being set against Maharashtra to serve others' self-interest. He also warned that if anyone spreads cultural frenzy in the name of puja, Maharashtra's calm should not be mistaken for weakness. He asked MNS workers to remain vigilant.

BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban hit back. He said Thackeray has tried to give Chhath Puja the colour of the Uttar Pradesh election, though the festival is observed mainly by people of Bihar. Biharis living in Maharashtra celebrate it. According to him, the MNS is opposing it because of a habit of viewing everything through the lens of elections.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam also expressed strong displeasure at Thackeray's stand. He said Chhath Puja is not a foreign festival but part of a tradition, culture and faith thousands of years old, and has nothing to do with elections. He said, "I tried to read and understand Raj Thackeray's long post myself. After reading it fully, the first question that came to my mind was: what are you trying to say? Elections will come and go, but Chhath Puja has been going on for thousands of years." Nirupam said Chhath hymns are in Bhojpuri and Maithili and mothers and sisters have sung them for thousands of years. According to him, if Indian Railways has decided to play these songs at stations, there should be no objection. He also extended an open invitation to Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray to come to Juhu Chowpatty, watch Chhath Puja and join the celebrations, and asked what is wrong with playing Bhojpuri songs at stations.

Dr Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said jingles and awareness messages are played at stations according to the occasion. At the few stations where special trains are being run for the coming Chhath Puja, these songs were being played at times other than passenger announcements.

Shailesh Raut of the Kalyan-Kasara Railway Passenger Association said railway stations are not entertainment centres but exist for the safe and smooth travel of passengers. According to him, the railways still have a severe shortage of basic facilities, and running local trains on time and providing better facilities should be the first priority, with playing songs a secondary matter. Ordinary citizens are of the view that Mumbai is home to many cultures, where people from every state of the country come to live and celebrate their festivals. They say that if tension is created in the name of festivals for political gain, it could be dangerous for the city's peace.