Dia Mirza's appeal to avoid Diwali firecrackers draws BJP MLA's ire; BMC deletes video
The Mumbai civic body removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza that encouraged citizens to avoid firecrackers during Diwali after political pressure. The BJP objected to the video, claiming the actor holds anti-national views, while other celebrities in the same campaign remained featured.
Why it matters
This incident illustrates the intersection of cultural politics, celebrity influence, and political censorship in local governance.
MUMBAI: The BJP, the ruling party in the BMC, has forced the civic administration to take down a video featuring actor Dia Mirza, which was uploaded by @mybmc on its social media page as part of its Diwali campaign urging citizens to avoid firecrackers and noise pollution.The BMC’s campaign also features actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad, and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane. Their videos, however, continue to remain on the civic body’s social media page.BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam objected to Mirza’s video in a post on X, tagging @mybmc and writing: “We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak.
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