Mumbai Mayor blacklists Dia Mirza after BMC removes Diwali video
Mayor Ritu Tawde accused the actor of opposing Hindutva after the civic body deleted her pollution-free Diwali campaign video.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza from its official social media platforms. The video was part of a public awareness campaign encouraging residents to follow Bombay High Court directions regarding firecrackers and noise pollution during Diwali.
According to reports from the Free Press Journal and Deccan Herald, the removal occurred after Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam objected to the actor's inclusion. Satam stated on X that the city does not need lessons on how to celebrate Diwali from Mirza.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said on Monday that Mirza would not be featured on the official BMC portal or invited to future civic programmes. Tawde accused the actor of being anti-Hindutva and stated that Mirza had trolled Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While Mirza's video was deleted, campaign clips featuring Madhuri Dixit, Nishigandha Wad, and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane have been retained on the BMC's social media pages, according to the Deccan Herald.
Dia Mirza responded on social media, stating she did not charge any fee for the campaign. She said the video was recorded in the interest of public awareness to encourage a healthier celebration and noted that air pollution is a matter of public health.
Opposition leaders have criticised the decision. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Kishori Pednekar questioned if the administration had become a slave to the BJP, while MNS corporator Yashwant Killedar questioned the hypocrisy of the stance.