BMC yet to repost Dia Mirza's Diwali video despite Bombay High Court direction

The Bombay High Court had directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to upload actor Dia Mirza's Diwali greetings video again on social media. However, the civic body has not yet put the video back up. The Opposition has turned aggressive over this.

The matter began with a BMC campaign on rising pollution in Mumbai. The BMC ran the campaign to tackle pollution in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, and to spread awareness among people. Several well-known figures, including Dia Mirza and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, were chosen for it. Mirza's video was posted on the BMC's Twitter handle. The BMC had later sought her help in spreading awareness of the court's directions against bursting firecrackers on public roads. Her video appealed to people not to burst firecrackers.

As soon as the video was posted, a major uproar followed. Amit Satam, in his capacity as president of the BJP's Mumbai unit, expressed anger over it. He said that we do not need Dia Mirza to learn how Diwali should be celebrated. After Satam's Twitter post, the BMC deleted Mirza's video. Several BJP leaders then commented on her, and she was also heavily trolled on social media. The controversy arose over her inclusion in the campaign.

When the matter reached the Bombay High Court, the court took serious note of it. A bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Dr Neela Gokhale said it was disturbed by the statements of some political leaders. The bench rebuked the leaders who trolled Mirza. The court made it clear that "India is a secular country..." and with this it addressed the political leaders. The High Court also directed the BMC to upload the removed video on social media again.

Even so, the civic body has still not reposted the video. The Opposition has therefore turned aggressive, and the issue is likely to be raised at today's meeting of the Standing Committee. Opposition parties, including the Congress, are preparing to corner the administration on the matter. A stormy session over Mirza's video is expected at today's Standing Committee meeting.