BMC removes Dia Mirza's anti-pollution Diwali video after BJP objection

The BMC removed Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali video after Ameet Satam objected. The decision sparked opposition criticism and intensified debate over faith, politics and pollution.Image used for representational purposes onlyMumbai,Nov 2, 2026 15:06 ISTThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza from its pollution-free Diwali campaign after Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam objected to her inclusion, triggering a political controversy, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The civic body had asked people to avoid bursting firecrackers and celebrate an environment-friendly Diwali following a Bombay High Court directive amid rising air pollution in Mumbai. It had enlisted several celebrities, including Mirza, for the campaign.Mirza's video, in which she urged people to avoid noise and air pollution, was removed on Sunday. However, campaign videos featuring actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane remained on the BMC's X and Instagram pages.According to PTI, the video was deleted after Satam tagged the BMC's official account in a post on X and objected to Mirza's participation. He wrote, “We don't need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture.” Within hours of Satam's post, the civic body, led by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, removed Mirza's video from its social media pages.Mayor Ritu Tawde told reporters on Monday, “Dia Mirza has always sided with divisive forces. She had trolled PM Modi on the NEET exam issue.” She added, “She has always been anti-Hindu. We have blacklisted her.” Reacting to the removal, Mirza wrote on social media, “Koi paise nahi liye hain. Bhalai ka zamana hee nahi raha,” meaning she had not charged the BMC any fee for the Diwali campaign and that there was no goodness left in this era.The BMC's post accompanying Mirza's video had said that, in line with the High Court's directions, bursting firecrackers on public roads, lanes and footpaths was strictly prohibited.Opposition leaders criticised the civic body for removing the clip. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and former mayor Kishori Pednekar asked whether the civic administration had “become a slave of the BJP or its Mumbai president”.Pednekar alleged that Satam's interference in the civic body's daily functioning was increasing and said the administration should not have yielded to what she called the BJP leader's “communal agenda”.Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporator Yashwant Killedar also criticised Satam, saying that if the Mumbai BJP president was so fond of firecrackers, party office-bearers should burst as many as they wished outside his residence.“Our Diwali can be celebrated even by lighting a single lamp and a lantern. Does the BJP approve of Satam's brand of 'hypocritical Hindutva' that supports bursting firecrackers in the name of religion?” Killedar asked.BJP minister Nitesh Rane said, “Dia Mirza tweeted about Diwali, but she never tweets or offers such advice during Eid, Muharram or Bakri Eid.”“People like her are against the Sanatan Hindu religion. I will discuss this issue with CM Fadnavis and focus on preventing such matters in the future,” Rane said.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.”He added, “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.”The BMC's decision to remove Mirza's pollution-awareness video after Satam's objection has drawn criticism from opposition leaders, while BJP and allied leaders have defended the objections and also acknowledged concerns over pollution.- Ends