Dia Mirza's eco-friendly Diwali video removed; Akhil Chitre asks if Satam is 'Super Mayor'

A controversy over actor Dia Mirza's eco-friendly Diwali video has now reached politics. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Akhil Chitre targeted Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam and called him the "Donald Duck of Andheri".

The matter began when Dia Mirza appealed to the people of Mumbai to celebrate Diwali with care for the environment. She had asked them to avoid firecrackers that cause air and noise pollution. The video was part of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Diwali awareness campaign, and the civic body had posted it on its social media account.

Satam then objected to the video. He had said there was no need to teach people how to celebrate Diwali. The civic body then removed the video from its official social media account. The Opposition criticised the civic body's stand.

Chitre asked why the civic body removed the video after the Mumbai BJP president's objection. He reminded that Dia Mirza had been invited for the campaign by the civic body itself.

According to Chitre, Dia Mirza is an actor who works to protect the environment. She had been made India's Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Chitre also said she has taken part in many efforts for protecting the environment and raising awareness in society.

Chitre asked why Dia Mirza's video was opposed at all. He asked whether Satam considers himself a "Super Mayor", and why the civic administration had to remove the video after his objection. Chitre also alleged that Dia Mirza may be being targeted because she does not attend the political events of some leaders. In the same remarks, he took a dig at Satam, calling him the "Donald Duck of Andheri".

The matter of the video's removal also reached the Bombay High Court. The court expressed displeasure at the video being taken down from the civic body's social media account. The bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale said India is a secular country. The bench made it clear that environment awareness campaigns should not be affected by personal or political objections.

The court also said the artists had taken part of their own will to spread awareness about pollution and public health. Such efforts should therefore not be discouraged because of personal or political differences.

The High Court directed the civic body to upload the removed Dia Mirza video again immediately. The court also stressed that citizens' trust in the Constitution and public institutions must be maintained.