'It Is About Air, Not Religion': Soni Razdan Reacts To Backlash Over Calling Bursting Firecrackers On Diwali 'Anti-National'

Alia Bhatt's mother and veteran actress Soni Razdan responded to the backlash over her remarks against bursting firecrackers during Diwali. After facing criticism and trolling on social media for calling the practice 'anti-national', 'anti-life' and 'anti-health', the actress clarified that her comments were about air pollution and public health, and not religion.

The controversy began after Soni shared a post late on Tuesday night, urging parents to think about the impact of firecrackers on children's health.

Talking about the problems caused by air pollution, the 70-year-old actress wrote, “Any parent of a young child will tell you how much their children are suffering because of air pollution. How many school days they miss because of illness. So if you tell me that, in such circumstances, it is perfectly alright to burst even one cracker this Diwali, I can only say that it seems to me to be anti-life, anti-health and yes... anti-national.”

She further stressed the importance of making healthier choices for children, adding, “Health is a choice we make for ourselves and our children. Let us make the right one.”

Her remarks did not go down well with several social media users, who criticised her for using the term 'anti-national' in connection with bursting firecrackers.

However, responding to the criticism on Thursday, Soni said her message had been misunderstood and "twisted". Taking to X, she explained what she meant by using the term 'anti-national' and maintained that her concern was the worsening air quality.

She wrote, "I think you are simply unable to see the woods for the trees. Let me clarify something, since my use of the word anti-national seems to have caused so much confusion. Bursting crackers is not what makes you nationalistic. And choosing not to burst them is certainly not anti-national. What I find deeply irresponsible, however, is knowingly contributing to the appalling air pollution that is making it increasingly difficult for people to breathe."

Making it clear that her comments had nothing to do with religion, Soni questioned why a public health concern was being turned into a religious debate.

She further wrote, "If we are going to use the term anti-national, then surely putting the health of an entire community at risk for the sake of a few moments of personal pleasure is a far more relevant place to start. And must every conversation about something as basic as public health be turned into a debate about religion? This is NOT about religion. It is about AIR. It is about children falling ill, missing school and struggling to breathe. It is about the health and wellbeing of every citizen of this country, irrespective of their religion, faith or beliefs."

Concluding her clarification, the actress urged people not to misinterpret her message about collective responsibility and the need for cleaner air. She wrote, "Please don’t twist a simple message about collective responsibility into something it was never intended to be. Because these are your children too. They are everyone’s children. And they deserve to breathe clean air. Surely that is something we can all agree on?"

Meanwhile, on the work front, Razdan was recently seen in Parineeti Chopra's debut web series Shaque: Trust No One. Her upcoming projects are not known yet.