The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has yet to re-upload actor Dia Mirza’s video urging citizens to avoid firecrackers during Diwali, a day after the Bombay High Court directed the civic body to restore the clip.
The court had on Tuesday expressed “deep pain and displeasure” over the controversy surrounding Mirza’s video, which was part of the BMC’s eco-friendly and firecracker-free Diwali campaign. The clip was removed from the civic body’s social media platforms following objections from some BJP leaders and Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde.
BMC officials said they were awaiting the court order before deciding on the next steps. A senior civic official told PTI that the order had been received late Wednesday evening and would be examined by the legal department. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide will take the final decision based on its opinion.
Court criticises controversy over environmental campaign
The BMC had removed Mirza’s video on Sunday night after Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam objected to it. The following day, Mayor Tawde defended the decision and described Mirza as “anti-Hindu”.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the controversy, a bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale directed the civic body to re-upload the video. The judges criticised the objections, saying a campaign intended to raise awareness about air and noise pollution had been given a different interpretation.
The bench said the civic commissioner was justified in selecting celebrities to promote environmental awareness and that the choice of a particular celebrity could not be questioned. It also stressed that citizens must respect one another irrespective of religion, caste or creed.
“There has to be a secular spirit, and the Constitution expects citizens to foster the same,” the court said, adding that re-uploading the video would be ideal.
Political dispute in civic body
The issue also triggered a verbal exchange between ruling and Opposition members during a BMC standing committee meeting. Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi raised the removal of Mirza’s video from the civic body’s social media accounts.
Videos featuring actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad, as well as cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, remained on the BMC’s social media pages.
The campaign was launched following High Court directions on preventing firecracker-related pollution. Mirza, an environmentalist and former UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador for India, has been involved in campaigns on climate change, wildlife protection and environmental conservation.
The court clarified that its directions prohibiting firecrackers on public roads applied throughout the year and were not limited to a particular festival.
Source: PTI
