Actor Dia Mirza’s video celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali campaign sparked a political row on Monday, with Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde asking the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take it down.
Interestingly, the BMC had roped in several celebrities, including Mirza, to appeal to the citizens to avoid bursting firecrackers and celebrate an environment-friendly Diwali. The civic body had reached out to them following a Bombay High Court directive amid rising air pollution in the city.
While Mirza’s clip urging people to avoid noise and air pollution was removed on Sunday, campaign videos featuring actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad, as well as cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, were retained on the BMC social media handles.
Mirza’s clip was removed on Sunday after Mumbai BJP Chief Ameet Satam objected to it in a social media post and tagged the BMC’s official account. “We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture,” the BJP MLA wrote.
Defending the BMC’s decision, Mumbai Mayor Tawde on Monday asserted that “we do not need Dia Mirza to teach how Hindus should celebrate Diwali”.
Addressing a press conference at the BMC, she also accused Mirza of consistently opposing Hindutva and speaking against the Narmada project in Gujarat, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We do not need Dia Mirza to teach how Hindus should celebrate Diwali. We know how to celebrate our Diwali. You (Mirza) are pursuing your own agenda, a selective agenda, and your overall stance is becoming very clear. It shows that you are against Hindutva. That is why we have strongly opposed the video,” Tawde said.
“If we look at Dia Mirza’s entire profile, we can see that she has opposed the Narmada project and the Uniform Civil Code. She has also spoken against environmental issues that we were working on and opposed statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have consistently seen her opposition directed against Hindutva and those who work for it,” the mayor further claimed.
Tawde further reiterated that the BMC should not feature anyone in campaigns without approval from the mayor’s office.
Mirza is free to express her views through her personal social media account, the BJP leader added.
An upset Dia Mirza said in a post on social media, “Koi paise nahi liye hain. Bhalai ka zamana hee nahi raha (I did not charge (BMC) any fee (for the Diwali campaign). There is no goodness left in this era). Opposition leaders criticised the civic body for taking down the clip.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and former mayor Kishori Pednekar questioned whether the civic administration had “become a slave of the BJP or its Mumbai president”.
BJP minister Nitesh Rane said, “Dia Mirza tweeted about Diwali, but she never tweets or offers such advice during Eid, Muharram or Bakri Eid.”
Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC said, “Dia Mirza, whose name itself means light, should know that the Festival of Lights refers to Diwali. Everyone knows the need to be mindful of pollution and avoid bursting firecrackers.”
Union minister Ramdas Athawale said, “Dia Mirza belongs to the Muslim community, but this is not a matter of any particular community. In India, the Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar grants every religion the right to celebrate its festivals.”
“Just as Muslims celebrate Eid and observe Ramadan, members of the Hindu community also participate in these celebrations. If firecrackers are not burst, Diwali may lose some of its significance. However, we must also be concerned about excessive pollution,” he said.