The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation removed actor Dia Mirza’s video from its pollution-free Diwali campaign after Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam objected to her inclusion, triggering a political dispute over civic messaging, religious celebrations and air pollution in the city.
The BMC had included Mirza among several public figures asked to urge citizens to celebrate an environment-friendly Diwali. The campaign referred to the Bombay High Court’s directives and stated that bursting firecrackers on public roads, lanes and footpaths was strictly prohibited.
Mirza’s video appealed to Mumbai residents to avoid firecrackers and reduce pollution. Speaking to ANI, she said the campaign had been recorded in the public interest and that efforts to reduce air pollution should be welcomed because it was a public-health concern. She also referred to the role of the Bombay High Court and the BMC in the campaign.
The civic body removed her clip from its social media pages on Sunday, within hours of Satam objecting to her inclusion in a post on X that tagged the BMC’s official account. “We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate Diwali from @deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture,” Satam wrote.
Campaign videos featuring actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad, and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, continued to remain on the BMC’s X and Instagram accounts, according to the report. The campaign had been launched as Mumbai faced concerns over air pollution during the festive period.
Mirza later said in a social media post that she had not charged the BMC for the video. “Koi paise nahi liye hain. Bhalai ka zamana hee nahi raha,” she wrote, meaning that she had not taken any fee and that there was little room for goodwill in the present time.
Mayor Ritu Tawde defended the removal and criticised Mirza’s previous public positions. Speaking to reporters, Tawde said the actor had “always sided with divisive forces” and referred to her criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the NEET examination issue. The mayor also called Mirza “anti-Hindu” and said she had been blacklisted.
Opposition leaders questioned whether the BMC had acted under political pressure. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar asked whether the civic administration had become subordinate to the BJP’s Mumbai leadership. MNS corporator Yashwant Killedar also criticised Satam’s intervention and argued that Diwali could be celebrated with lamps and lanterns while remaining conscious of pollution.
BJP minister Nitesh Rane separately questioned why Mirza had spoken about pollution during Diwali but not during other religious festivals. Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC said citizens should understand Diwali’s significance while also remaining mindful of pollution. Union minister Ramdas Athawale said the dispute should not be linked to any community, adding that all religions have the right to celebrate their festivals while excessive pollution remained a concern.
The dispute leaves the BMC’s pollution-awareness campaign caught between two institutional demands: communicating restrictions and public-health concerns during a period of poor air quality, and navigating political sensitivities around the way those messages are presented. The civic body’s public campaign and the status of the removed video remain at the centre of the controversy.
