Bombay High Court Slams BMC Over Removal of Dia Mirza Diwali Video, Orders Immediate Re-upload
The Bombay High Court has expressed profound distress over the removal of a festive public service announcement featuring actor Dia Mirza by the Mumbai municipal authorities. The judiciary's intervention follows political pressure from the ruling party that had initially forced the civic body to censor the environmentally conscious campaign.
- The Bombay High Court strongly criticized the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, ordering them to restore the actor's environmental appeal.
- The initial removal of the public service video was orchestrated following intense pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party over green Diwali messaging.
- The judicial rebuke underscores ongoing tensions regarding institutional autonomy and environmental advocacy within local municipal governance.
MUMBAI — In a sharp judicial rebuke, the Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to reinstate a public awareness video featuring prominent actor and environmental campaigner Dia Mirza, which urged citizens to celebrate an eco-conscious festival of lights.
The controversy erupted when municipal administrators bowed to intense pressure from local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, hastily scrubbing the civic body's official digital channels of Mirza's message advocating against noisy and polluting pyrotechnics during Deepavali. This capitulation by civic officials sparked widespread debate regarding political interference in administrative communications concerning public welfare and environmental health.
According to reports published by The Hindu, the bench presiding over the matter made it unequivocally clear that it was deeply troubled by the capitulation of municipal authorities to partisan demands, signaling that civic bodies should remain steadfast in promoting public good rather than yielding to political arm-twisting. Legal analysts note that the court's stance reinforces the protection of non-partisan civic outreach, particularly initiatives aimed at mitigating urban air pollution and safeguarding public health during peak festive periods.
