Row over Dia Mirza’s appeal for a noise-free Deepavali | Explained

The story so far: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) expressed strong displeasure and asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to restore a video of actor Dia Mirza, in which, the actor appealed for a noise-free and pollution-free celebration of Deepavali. The message was a part of the official anti-firecracker campaign of the BMC. The civic body pulled down the video earlier this week after objections by the BJP leaders.

Bombay High Court orders BMC to re-upload Dia Mirza firecracker appeal video

Bombay High Court orders BMC to re-upload Dia Mirza firecracker appeal video | Video Credit: The Hindu

What is the issue?

In a suo motu Public Interest Litigation about noise and air pollution caused by religious processions across Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court had urged to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to rope in celebrities for pollution awareness.

After the hearing in the last week of October 2026, the BMC took steps for a citizen awareness campaign. Accordingly, it approached prominent personalities like Madhuri Dixit, Dia Mirza, Ajinkya Rahane, Nishigandha Wad. Everyone recorded videos appealing to people to celebrate Diwali without noise pollution or air pollution. The campaign was undertaken as a public service, and the celebrities did not charge any money for it.

What went wrong?

The BMC uploaded the videos on November 1, but soon after the video of actor Dia Mirza went up, BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam is learnt to have called the BMC administration to pull it down. Accordingly, it was pulled down on the morning of November 1, sources in the BMC said. Mr. Satam posted about it on X saying, “@mybmc, we don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture.”

Why did BJP oppose Mirza’s appeal?

In the 27-second video, Ms. Mirza spoke about taking care of one’s own health and the environment, while celebrating Deepavali. “The noise pollution and air pollution caused by fire crackers is harmful for all of us. I appeal to you all to celebrate this Diwali with joy, not with noise. My hearty wishes to you all for a very happy Diwali!” Other celebrities too recorded a video message on similar lines.

The BJP leaders including a Cabinet Minister, the Mumbai president of BJP and the Mayor of Mumbai, said the objection was not to the message, but the person. The leaders accused her of being ‘anti-Hindu’. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde accused Ms Mirza of taking stance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane said it was wrong for the BMC to promote people like Ms Mirza. “Dia Mirza has tweeted about Diwali, but she never tweets or offers such advice during Eid, Muharram or Bakri Eid. They only talk about an environment-friendly Holi or Diwali. They should also speak about an environment-friendly Ramzan and Bakri Eid. People like her are against the Sanatan Hindu religion. I will discuss this issue with the CM that such things are prevented in the future,” he said.

Ms. Tawde said that the actor had taken anti-Hindutva stance, because of which the BJP opposed her name. “Our problem is not with the message that was shared, but with the celebrity that was appointed for the campaign. If we look at Dia Mirza’s entire profile, we see that she has opposed the Narmada project and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). She has also spoken against efforts to address the environmental crisis — an area in which we ourselves have been working. She has even opposed statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Consistently, her opposition appears to be directed against Hindutva,” Ms. Tawde said in a press conference held on Monday (November 2, 2026). She slammed the BMC administration on the matter.

Meanwhile, from BJP-ally Shiv Sena, Shaina NC joined the chorus against Ms. Mirza, but the Sena’a deputy Mayor took an official stand in contrast to the BJP. Sanjay Ghadi said there was nothing wrong in Ms. Mirza’s appeal, and that there was no reason for the BMC to pull down the video. I don’t know why Ameet Satam or the BJP found it inappropriate,” he said, adding that the BMC administration should have run the list of celebrities past them before taking the decision.

The BMC administration took the decision of roping in the celebrities on the basis of the directives of the Bombay High Court. But the Mayor took strong objection to it. She reprimanded the administration and warned them that they should get her prior approval in the future before roping in any celebrities for the civic body’s public campaigns.

How did the actor react?

Miffed by the developments, Ms. Mirza asked why anyone should take objections to a public interest campaign. “Why should anyone be critical of a video that the Honourable Bombay High Court and BMC have made me record in public interest? Air pollution is an area of concern and all efforts to reduce pollution should be welcomed because it is a matter of public health,” news agency ANI quoted her as saying.

Bombay High Court’s intervention

After the controversy, the Bombay High Court advanced the hearing of the PIL to Tuesday (November 3, 2026). It expressed strong displeasure about Ms. Mirza’s video being pulled down, and asked if we are not a secular country. “We are disturbed with the comments made by certain persons in regard to celebrities who had participated and assisted in the public cause, being now taken up by BMC, of creating awareness of ill-effects of bursting firecrackers,” the Division Bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said.

They called out the ‘petty mindset’ of those who criticised Ms. Mirza. “There is no scope for any knee-jerk reaction of few people and at the cost of few people and society at large,” they said, adding that the “issue of environment should not be hijacked by any other colour... Everyone in the country is breathing the same air.” The judges asked if we are not a secular country.

“In our opinion, BMC, MPCB and police authorities took very effective steps to involve the celebrities, and each one of them, in a most dignified way, while encouraging celebrations of the festival, have given this message to nurture a sense of goodwill, togetherness and a strong feeling of belonging to the society,” the judges observed.

They said that pollution affects all sections of society. “We certainly believe that when, with such solemnity, such a task, and as directed by the court, was being undertaken, there was no room for any factionalism or individualism... pollution would affect all sections of the society,” they said, asking the BMC to restore the video message on its platforms again.

How did the BJP respond?

While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed it as a small issue, BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam said the party will study the court’s order. “We have utmost respect for the Honourable Court. We will study the observations made by the Honourable court and its context. We however clarify that there is no objection to any individual on the basis of their caste, creed or religion. It is purely on the basis of that individual’s association with anti-India forces, anti-national elements and ‘tukde tukde gang’, also whether that individual has sympathised with those who have tried to spread anarchy in this country,” Mr. Satam said.