The court said the video had a good message for society and that measures for environmental protection must not be given "communal colour"In a jolt to the BJP that controls the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bombay High Court has directed the civic body to reupload a video of actor Dia Mirza that urged citizens to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly manner.The actor was among those roped in by the BMC for the campaign. After the civic body uploaded the video with Mirza's appeal, BJP Mumbai president and MLA Ameet Satam had lashed out. “@mybmc We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture,” Satam had posted on X.This led the BMC to withdraw the video soon after.
But Satam was seen has having selectively targeted Mirza while ignoring appeals from celebrities such as Madhuri Dixit, Ajinkya Rahane, Nishigandha Wad and Harshada Khanvilkar.“There are some people and some celebrities in this country who seem to be joining hands with forces who are spreading anarchy in India... and for ensuring a regime change. We do not need lessons in celebrating Deepavali from such people.
This country has been celebrating Deepavali for the past 5,000 years and will continue to do so in the future as well,” said Satam, directing ire at what he termed as the “tukde tukde gang”. Joining forces with him, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane had asked why questions around environment were raised only during Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi and not Ramzan.Satam and Rane's stance was supported by Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawade. “We have blacklisted Dia Mirza 100 per cent.
In the Mahayuti's tenure, when it comes to those who are part of anti-national activities and speak against Hindu festivals, Hindus and Hinduism, the BJP will ensure that they will be blacklisted,” she said while stating that she would question Mumbai municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide about why her concurrence had not been sought before approving the list of celebrities for the BMC campaign.According to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, the municipal commissioner has executive powers while the mayor, who is the first citizen of the city, is vested with powers such as presiding over meetings of the general body. The mayor has limited statutory and executive powers.Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the Congress legislature party, slammed the comments by BJP leaders and said this was part of their dog-whistle politics, while leader of the Opposition in the BMC and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Kishori Pednekar questioned Satam’s locus standi in the BMC.
Deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, too lent his voice to the Opposition and said that the civic body should not have deleted Mirza’s video.Now, a division bench of the Bombay High Court on November 3 slammed the politics around the awareness video and directed the BMC to upload it. The court added that the video had given a good message to society and that measures for environmental protection must not be given “communal colour”.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends