The Bombay High Court has criticised the political backlash against actor Dia Mirza for participating in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) crackerless Diwali awareness campaign. The Court expressed displeasure over the removal of her video following objections from political leaders and directed the civic body to upload it again.
A Division Bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale observed that an environmental awareness initiative should not be given a religious or political colour.
Background
The Court was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation concerning noise and air pollution during festivals. As part of its awareness initiative, the BMC had approached several prominent personalities, including Dia Mirza, to record voluntary messages encouraging citizens to celebrate Diwali without bursting firecrackers on public roads.
However, Mirza’s video attracted criticism from certain political leaders, who questioned her participation and described the campaign as anti-Hindu. Following the objections, the BMC removed her video from its social media platforms while retaining other celebrity videos.
The controversy was brought to the Court's attention during the hearing.
The Bench expressed concern over the treatment of Mirza, particularly when she had voluntarily participated in a public awareness campaign in line with the Court's directions.
The judges questioned why a person supporting an environmental cause was being targeted for her participation.
"The Bench expressed disappointment over the developments, observing that the issue had been unnecessarily portrayed from a different perspective despite the Court's clear directions in the matter."
The Court also emphasised that its directions concerning environmental protection were applicable throughout the year and were not restricted to Diwali celebrations.
"The Court emphasised that environmental protection must remain the central concern and should not be linked to religious or political differences, as air pollution affects everyone living in the city and across the country."
Referring to the Supreme Court's observations on Diwali being celebrated across communities, the judges questioned objections to someone's participation in a festival-related awareness campaign on religious grounds.
The Bench further observed that India was a secular country and that environmental protection should not become a reason for division.
Taking note of the BMC's decision to remove the video, the High Court directed the civic body to restore Mirza's clip and upload it again.
"The Bench directed the civic body to reinstate the video, emphasising that such action was necessary to uphold public confidence in constitutional values and social harmony. It further cautioned that irresponsible remarks should not be allowed to disrupt this balance."
The Court reiterated its existing restrictions on bursting firecrackers on public roads, while permitting green crackers on private premises during designated hours.
