Mumbai: A Diwali anti-cracker campaign has snowballed into a political showdown, with the BJP targeting the BMC over actor Dia Mirza’s appeal against firecrackers. The civic body swiftly pulled down the video following the BJP’s objection, triggering opposition fire that accused the administration of buckling under political pressure and withdrawing its own anti-pollution message.
BJP MLA Ameet Satam Objects To Dia Mirza's Pollution-Free Diwali Appeal
Following a Bombay High Court directive amid rising air pollution, the BMC rolled out a celebrity-backed campaign urging Mumbaikars to shun firecrackers and celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali. However, Mirza’s video was taken down within hours of BJP Mumbai president and MLA Ameet Satam publicly objecting to it in a post on X and tagging the civic body. “We don't need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture,” Satam posted.
The BMC swiftly pulled down Mirza’s video, while clips featuring actress Madhuri Dixit, Nishigandha Wad and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane remained online. The controversy took a sharper political turn on Monday, with Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde launching a scathing attack on Mirza, branding her “anti-Hindu” and accusing her of siding with “divisive forces”. Declaring that the actor had been “blacklisted”, Tawde said all celebrities featured in future BMC campaigns would require her approval.
Mayor Demands Clearance For BMC Social Media Posts
She also asserted that no public communication from the civic body's social media handles should go out without her clearance, warning that those opposing Hindutva would face opposition. Tawde added that she would take up the matter with the civic administration, raising fresh questions over political control of the BMC's communication machinery.
The video’s removal however, triggered a sharp opposition backlash, with Opposition Leader and ShivSena (UBT) corporator Kishori Pednekar accusing the civic administration of bowing to BJP pressure. Questioning whether the BMC had “become a slave of the BJP or its Mumbai president”, Pednekar alleged that Satam’s interference in the civic body’s day-to-day functioning was growing, and accused the administration of surrendering to what she termed the BJP leader’s “communal agenda”.
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad also rallied behind Mirza, accusing the BJP of giving the civic campaign a religious and political spin. Defending the actor’s participation, Gaikwad said Mirza had simply responded to the BMC’s appeal to make Mumbai pollution-free, pointing out that several other celebrities had also joined the initiative. “We stand firmly behind Dia Mirza,” she asserted, accusing the BJP of deliberately dragging civic and environmental issues into religious politics.
Meanwhile, ShivSena (Shinde) leader Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi sought to defuse the controversy, saying, “Diwali is a festival for everyone. An appeal made for a good cause should not be allowed to create divisions.”
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