BMC takes down actor Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali video after BJP leader's objection
PTC News Desk: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed an anti-firecracker video featuring actor Dia Mirza from its social media accounts after facing criticism. Similar videos featuring other celebrities, including Madhuri Dixit, cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and Marathi actor Nishigandha Wad, are still online.
The video was removed after BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam objected to the BMC posting it. In the clip, Mirza urged people not to burst firecrackers and to avoid adding to noise pollution.
“We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate Diwali from Dia Mirza. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture,” Satam wrote in a post tagging the BMC. The civic body removed the video but did not give an official explanation.
@mybmc We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture.
— Ameet Satam (@AmeetSatam) November 1, 2026
The BMC had launched the campaign after the Bombay High Court criticised it over rising air pollution and its failure to control firecracker use during festivals. The court has banned firecrackers on public roads, in parks and in shared spaces. It also suggested that celebrities take part in pollution-awareness campaigns without charging a fee.
Following the court’s remarks, the BMC asked several celebrities to record messages encouraging people to follow the court’s directions. Mirza’s video was part of the campaign, but it was removed after objections from Satam and criticism from some right-wing social media accounts.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC said Diwali is the festival of lights and argued that people should reflect on its cultural significance. She said nobody was promoting pollution or firecrackers, but added that Mumbaikars did not need others to tell them how to celebrate.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale also criticised Mirza’s message. He said every religion has the constitutional right to celebrate its festivals and compared Hindu celebrations of Diwali with Hindus respecting and taking part in Eid. He added that firecrackers are part of Diwali’s significance, while acknowledging concerns about excessive pollution.
Mirza’s father was Christian and her mother was Bengali Hindu. After her mother separated from her biological father and remarried, Mirza was raised in her stepfather’s Muslim household and took his surname.
- PTC NEWS
