A political controversy has erupted after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza from its pollution-free Diwali campaign following objections from Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam.
In alignment with a High Court directive to tackle rising air pollution, the civic body had urged citizens to refrain from bursting firecrackers and enlisted several celebrities, including Mirza, Madhuri Dixit, and Ajinkya Rahane, for awareness videos.
However, Satam strongly criticised Mirza’s inclusion on social media platform X, stating that citizens did not need lessons on celebrating cultural traditions. Shortly after his post, the BMC deleted Mirza’s clip while retaining videos of other personalities.
@mybmc We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture.
— Ameet Satam (@AmeetSatam) November 1, 2026
The move drew sharp condemnation from Opposition leaders. AIMIM group leader Vijay Ubale defended the anti-firecracker message as essential for public health and accused Satam of attempting to polarise communities for political gain.
Congress spokesperson Sureshcandra Rajhans urged the BMC not to succumb to external political pressure, questioning the civic body’s autonomy.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the BMC Kishori Pednekar demanded a formal explanation from the Municipal Commissioner regarding the decision to pull down the video.
