Mumbai, Nov 3: Ritu Tawde is the first mayor of Mumbai who focuses on caste and religion, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged on Tuesday after the Bombay High Court expressed "deep pain and displeasure" over political objections to actor Dia Mirza's eco-friendly Diwali campaign video.

He said mayors across the world talk about clean water, education, open spaces, primary healthcare centres, but "She (Tawde) is the first mayor who focuses on caste and religion".

#WATCH | Maharashtra: On the controversy over Actress Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali campaign, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde says, "If we look at Dia Mirza’s entire profile, we see that she has opposed the Narmada project and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). She has also spoken against efforts to address the environmental crisis—an area in which we ourselves have been working. She has even opposed statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Consistently, her opposition appears to be directed against Hindutva. Regarding how Hindus should celebrate Diwali—we certainly do not need Dia Mirza to teach us. We know how to celebrate our own Diwali. You should focus on your selective agenda. The full picture is clear: you are against Hindutva. That is why we have strongly opposed her video; we do not need her to instruct us, as Hindus, on how to celebrate Diwali..."
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2026

Thackeray Criticises BMC Administration

In a post on X, Thackeray said the BJP turns every administration controlled by it into a circus.

"Total clownery in the BMC, where the mayor and her bosses claim they don't know what the administration does, whenever it goes wrong," Thackeray said.

Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray says, "... But the unfortunate thing here is that if you look at the Mayor of Mumbai, everywhere in the world, mayors focus on civic issues. However, there is this BJP leader whose entire focus is only on Hindu-Muslim issues and caste discrimination. Today, whether it's Dia Mirza, Ajinkya Rahane, or Madhuri Dixit, the BMC itself wrote a letter asking them to make those videos. And now, the Mayor herself is claiming she wasn't aware of it. So, how are they running the government"
— IANS (@ians_india) November 3, 2026

He said the mayor's focus has been on her car's red beacon, renovation of her residence and now on a citizen's religion in a video message that was asked for by the BMC itself.

High Court Orders Video Restoration

Expressing "deep pain and displeasure" over political objections to actor Dia Mirza's video for an eco-friendly Diwali campaign, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the BMC to re-upload the deleted clip, reminding the public that the Constitution expects all citizens to foster a secular spirit.

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Political Row Over Dia Mirza Video

The development came a day after Mirza's video sparked a political row, leading the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to selectively remove her clip from social media following Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam's objection and Mayor Tawde's comments labelling her "anti-Hindu".

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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Mumbai Mayor Focuses On Caste & Religion, Alleges Aaditya Thackeray Amid Dia Mirza Controversy | VIDEO

Thackeray Criticises BMC Administration

High Court Orders Video Restoration

Political Row Over Dia Mirza Video