Dia Mirza breaks silence after BMC takes down her pollution-free Diwali ad

Dia Mirza. Pic via Instagram

Actress Dia Mirza has broken her silence after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently removed her video from its pollution-free Diwali campaign. The municipal body had taken down the ad following an objection by Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam, sparking a political controversy. The video reportedly featured Dia urging people to avoid noise and air pollution during the festival.

Dia Mirza reacts to BMC removing her Diwali video

Reacting to the controversy, Dia, who often speaks about environmental issues, told Hindustan Times, "Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. The video was recorded in the interest of public awareness, with the intention of encouraging a healthier and more mindful celebration. Air pollution is a matter of public health, and every effort towards reducing it is a step towards a better environment for all."

Notably, after the Bombay High Court urged celebrities to support Maharashtra's anti-firecracker campaign without payment last week, Dia had said, "I have never charged any money for any public service campaigns. No idea who has been paid hefty amounts. The point is, celebrities are willing to work with civil society and governments if there is a priority to solve the very solve-able issue of pollution. Every time we speak up against cracker use we get attacked. I have been focusing on drawing attention on air quality for over a decade."

BMC takes down Dia Mirza's ad

For the unversed, the BMC featured several well-known personalities, including Dia Mirza, Madhuri Dixit, and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, its awareness drive in video message promoting an environment-friendly Diwali.

On Sunday, Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam called out the civic body for featuring actor Dia Mirza in its campaign urging citizens to avoid noise pollution during Diwali.

Taking to X, Satam wrote, "We don't need lessons on how to celebrate Diwali from deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture," while tagging the BMC in his post and referring to Mirza.

Following his post, the civic body then deleted Dia Mirza's video from its social media account, without offering any explanation.