Mayor Ritu Tawde criticizes Dia Mirza after BMC removes anti-firecracker video

Mayor Ritu Tawde said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) withdrew a video featuring actress Dia Mirza that urged citizens not to burst firecrackers during Diwali. The video, commissioned by the civic body as part of a court-ordered anti-pollution campaign, was taken down after BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam objected, stating that the city did not need “lessons on how to celebrate Diwali” from Mirza.

Tawde emphasized that the decision was not based on the actress’s religion, adding that Mirza has “always taken an anti-Hindu and anti-government stand,” which she said prompted the opposition. She described the removal as a result of “miscommunication from the administration” and said she would discuss the matter with the BMC commissioner to prevent similar incidents.

Other celebrity messages, including those by Madhuri Dixit, cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and actress Nishigandha Wad, remain on the BMC’s platforms. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale noted that while Mirza belongs to the Muslim community, the issue does not concern any particular religious group, citing the Constitution’s guarantee of equal rights for all faiths.

The BMC had launched the celebrity campaign following a Bombay High Court directive to curb firecracker use after rising air-pollution levels during festivals.