Sena activists sing bhajans in a Mumbai train in protest against the ban. (PTI)

Mumbai, Aug. 30: Mumbai’s local train passengers will not get any respite. The Shiv Sena, still looking for a cause in the run-up to the Assembly polls, launched the bhajan gao andolan in trains to protest against the railway ban on the singing.

A group of Sainiks, led by senior Sena leader Subhas Desai, travelled in a local train from Goregaon at 9.30 am to Churchgate, singing bhajans to protest against the order issued by Government Railway Police commissioner Suresh Khopade about a month ago. He had banned singing of bhajans in trains, saying it amounted to public nuisance.

Another local train carrying bhajan-singing Sainiks, several of them women, left Borivli station at 11.11 am. The Western Railway spokesperson said the railway was not aware if any action was taken.

Asked why they had zeroed in on such an issue, Desai said it was prompted by the recent ban. “The singing of bhajans has been going on for 25 to 30 years. It is a tradition. Why did the railway stop it now?” he asked.

There are about 500 bhajan groups travelling in local Mumbai trains everyday. Since the distances are long, they started off with bhajans to kill time. But with their number and the decibel level rising everyday, they are a nuisance for other passengers.

State home minister Kripashankar Singh criticised the Sena move.

“Bhajans are a beautiful thing. I listen to bhajans everyday before setting out. But everything has a place,” he said.

“In crowded local trains there’s hardly the place to stand, let alone sit. Singing of bhajans can only create inconvenience,” he said.