Bombay HC asks BMC to restore Dia Mirza’s Diwali video, questions politicians’ remarks

Mumbai: Bombay High Court on Tuesday criticised comments made by a section of politicians against actress Dia Mirza's Diwali video in which she urged citizens not to burst firecrackers on public roads. A bench of justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to re-upload the video pulled down by the civic body after BJP leaders' objections.

"The (Diwali) festival is celebrated by people regardless of their caste, community and religion. Now, when these kinds of unfortunate comments are made... Are we not a secular country?" said the Bombay High Court.

The bench stated that it was "disturbed by some stray comments" made by certain politicians and asked BMC to restore the video. "Please put (upload) it again and restore the confidence of people in the society and Constitution. These are stray thoughts of one or two persons. We cannot appreciate this."


The Bombay High Court, which was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation on festive noise and air pollution, had earlier asked BMC to engage celebrities to deliver public interest messages, asking citizens to celebrate Diwali without noise and air pollution.

While actors like Madhuri Dixit and former cricketer Ajinkya Rahane were involved in delivering the messages, BJP's hackles were raised after BMC included Dia Mirza in the campaign. Labelling her 'anti-Hindu' and part of the 'Tukde Tukde gang', Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam had got the video pulled down. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde from BJP justified the label, claiming that Mirza had in the past opposed Hindus, trolled the PM and was an 'anti-national'.

On Tuesday, Satam, while responding to HC's observations, distanced himself from BMC's decision to upload and then delete the video. "It was BMC that uploaded the video and they only brought it down. We did not oppose her on religious or any other grounds, but it was due to her involvement in anti-national activities. In the future, BMC should see whose help it is taking," said Satam.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena has been tying itself in knots over the issue, while Shiv Sena deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi criticised BMC's decision to delete the video. Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat on Tuesday questioned why Mirza had never spoken about the sound pollution from mosques.