The Bombay High Court ordered the BMC to restore Dia Mirza's eco-friendly Diwali video, triggering a political clash in Maharashtra as the opposition accuses the BJP of polarizing the environmental advisory for religion-based politics.
Bombay High Court Directive Triggers Political Dispute
The Bombay High Court's directive instructing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to re-upload the awareness video featuring actor Dia Mirza, urging people not to burst firecrackers on public streets during Diwali, has triggered a political face-off in Maharashtra, with the opposition targeting the BJP for playing "religion-based politics," while the ruling alliance maintained that a single festival should not be singled out for pollution.
Political Reactions to the High Court Order
Opposition Perspective
Speaking to ANI, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP(SP)] MLA Rohit Pawar welcomed the court's intervention, taking aim at BJP legislator Ameet Satam for objecting to the actor's environmental advisory. "The Bombay High Court has issued a very sound order. The High Court has stated that the video featuring Dia Mirza—which the BMC had deleted—should be uploaded," Pawar said. "Our objection is directed at Ameet Satam; it was he who raised an objection to Dia Mirza’s statement. If you examine the statements—made by Dia Mirza, Madhuri Dixit, and a cricketer—you will see they are essentially the same, with one version in Marathi and another in Hindi. They convey a message about the environment; what could possibly be wrong with that?" he asked.
Accusing the BJP of polarising the issue, Pawar added, "Ameet Satam twisted the statement purely for the sake of politics, and specifically, religion-based politics, to object to Dia Mirza. That is wrong. When the Chief Minister was asked about this, he merely remarked that it was a matter for the Municipal Corporation."
Ruling Alliance Stance
On the contrary, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat reacted cautiously, welcoming precautions but stressing that pollution is a round-the-year problem that should not be attributed to any single community or festival. "We welcome the suggestion that necessary precautions should be taken, but the situation has always been this way. There are many other festivals, and throughout the year—all 365 days—pollution occurs for various reasons. The High Court has taken note of this several times and has even issued orders. The High Court should now show some strictness—it should issue a stern reprimand—to ensure that these orders are actually being followed," Shirsat told ANI.
Emphasising that environmental responsibility is shared, the minister added, "No one wants pollution—people of no religion or community want pollution. However, it is incorrect to assume that any single festival or any specific community is solely responsible for it. Pollution is also caused by vehicles and loudspeakers."
Chief Minister's Response
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had the authority to decide what content should be retained or removed from its social media platforms. Speaking to reporters, the Maharashtra CM said, "This is a very small issue. I believe the High Court may have expressed its opinion, but the matter has not even gone to the High Court. Deleting the video was the Mumbai Municipal Corporation's decision. The authority that manages the social media handle has the right to decide what content should be retained and what should be removed," he said. "Dia Mirza may be a good actress, but she is not a major political figure in the country. Anyway, I feel these issues are not at my level," he added.
Background on the Controversy
The remarks come after the Bombay High Court expressed displeasure over remarks made by certain political leaders regarding the video featuring Mirza, which urged citizens not to burst firecrackers on public streets during Diwali. The court directed the BMC to re-upload the video on its social media platforms.
During the hearing, a bench comprising Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale expressed displeasure over the remarks made by certain political leaders. The controversy erupted after the BMC included Mirza in a public awareness campaign encouraging citizens to celebrate an eco-friendly and pollution-free Diwali amid concerns over Mumbai's air quality.
The campaign was launched following a directive from the Bombay High Court concerning air pollution in the city. It featured video messages from several public figures, including Dia Mirza, Madhuri Dixit, Nishigandha Wad and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane. However, following objections from some senior political leaders and social media users, the BMC removed Mirza's video from its social media platforms while retaining the messages featuring the other celebrities. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
