The Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to re-upload actor Dia Mirza’s video for its eco-friendly and firecracker-free Diwali campaign, expressing “deep pain and displeasure” over the controversy surrounding its removal from the civic body’s social media platforms.
A bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale took suo motu note of the dispute and criticised the manner in which an environmental awareness video had become the subject of a political and ideological confrontation. The court said it was anguished by the “petty mindset” of certain people, particularly those who represent the common man.
The bench said it was “most unfortunate” that the video had been given a political colour despite being intended to spread awareness about air and noise pollution. It also observed that no person could question why a particular celebrity had been selected by the authorities for an awareness campaign.
The controversy began after Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam objected to Mirza’s inclusion in the BMC’s Diwali campaign. He questioned why the actor had been chosen to advise citizens on how to celebrate the festival. Following his objection, the civic body removed Mirza’s video from its social media accounts while retaining similar campaign clips featuring Madhuri Dixit, Nishigandha Wad and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, according to the report.
Satam associated the appeal against firecrackers with the phrase “Tukde-Tukde Gang” and alleged that anti-India forces were attempting to dictate how Hindus should celebrate Diwali. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde also described Mirza as “anti-Hindu” and said she would not be included in future BMC programmes or featured on the civic body’s official platforms.
Mirza responded to the criticism by saying that she had made the video in the public interest and had not charged the civic body for it. “Koi paise nahi liye hain. Bhalai ka zamana hee nahi raha,” she said, according to the report. The actor is also known for her public advocacy on environmental issues.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale criticised Mirza over the BMC video and advised her to focus on acting rather than posting, the report said. The dispute consequently expanded beyond the original campaign and raised questions about how civic communication on pollution and public health can be affected by political objections.
The High Court’s intervention places the BMC’s campaign back within the framework of environmental awareness and public administration. Its direction requires the civic body to restore the video, while the court’s observations have formally recorded its displeasure over the treatment of a campaign addressing air and noise pollution.
