Bombay High Court Orders BMC to Restore Dia Mirza's Diwali Video

Dia Mirza's video was part of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Diwali pollution awareness campaign. According to India News, the campaign followed a Bombay High Court order.

The supplied reports differ on the appeal's precise wording. The Hindu describes a firecracker-free Deepavali video, while Dainik Bhaskar National says Mirza urged people to use green crackers and avoid bursting crackers on public roads. Both accounts describe an appeal about how people celebrate Diwali.

On November 2, India Today reported that the BMC had deleted Mirza's video after a BJP objection. BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam objected to her giving lessons on celebrating Diwali, saying traditions were rooted in culture, according to News.

The criticism extended beyond the appeal itself. Times of India reported that Mumbai's mayor described Mirza as being against Hindutva. NDTV also reported the mayor's allegation that Mirza had taken an anti-government stand. The Hindu identifies the mayor as Ritu Tawde.

The removal was selective, according to India News, which reported on November 2 that videos featuring Madhuri and Rahane remained on the BMC's page even after Mirza's was taken down.

On November 3, the Bombay High Court intervened. Scroll.in reported that the court was disturbed by politicians' remarks targeting Mirza. Legal News India reported that it criticised political leaders for giving the appeal a communal colour.

The court ordered the BMC to upload the video again, according to The Hindu. Its response also invoked India's secular character, as reported by India Today.

The court's restoration order is the central development. The Hindu reported that the court said it was deeply pained by the controversy. The supplied coverage does not confirm that the BMC has carried out the order.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the controversy as a very small issue and said it was not at his level, according to Times of India. That response sits alongside a direct judicial instruction to the civic body to put the appeal back online.

The next concrete step is the BMC's compliance with the order to restore Mirza's video. The coverage establishes the court's direction, but leaves the timing of the upload and the civic body's response unresolved.