Dia Mirza video row: Oppn welcomes Bombay HC verdict, says BMC removed video due to her surname

Mumbai: The opposition parties in Maharashtra on Tuesday welcomed the Bombay High Court's judgment which directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to re-upload the public awareness video of actor Dia Mirza, alleging that the civic body had removed her video "because of her surname".

In the video, Mirza had urged citizens not to burst firecrackers on public roads during Diwali.

Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray said instead of focusing on civic issues, "there is this BJP leader (Ameet Satam) whose entire focus is only on Hindu-Muslim issues and caste discrimination".

"Today, whether it's Dia Mirza, Ajinkya Rahane, or Madhuri Dixit, the BMC itself wrote a letter asking them to make those videos. And now, the BMC Mayor (Ritu Tawde) herself is claiming she wasn't aware of it. So, how are they running the government?" he remarked.

AIMIM National Spokesperson Waris Pathan hailed the Bombay High Court's judgment, saying: "They (BMC) received a proper reprimand. The court said that this is not a communal issue, so why are you making such statements?... The Mumbai BJP Chief, Ameet Satam, tweeted and specifically targeted Dia Mirza because of her surname. Otherwise, videos made by Madhuri Dixit and Ajinkya Rahane were not removed."

Echoing similar view, Shiv Sena-UBT leader and former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said whoever occupies the Mayor’s chair must represent all communities and not speak for any one caste, group, or religion.

“There has been discussion about Dia Mirza for the last two or three days. She has brought glory to the country, received several honours, and served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)... She did not come seeking any benefit, nor was she going to gain financially from this. It was the municipal corporation that invited her. They have insulted her due her 'Mirza' surname, which is extremely wrong," she told IANS.

Pednekar also criticised remarks made by the BMC Mayor, saying: "The Mayor has no right to claim that she has blacklisted someone. Making such statements before a major festival like Diwali, which is celebrated by people of all communities, is inappropriate. India is a secular country, and such comments about an artist are completely unacceptable."

Speaking to IANS, Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Indulging in such dirty and petty politics is something only the BJP can do. I sincerely thank the High Court for reprimanding them and making it clear that such discrimination has no place under the Constitution of this country," he said.

While maintaining that Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde is an empowered woman, NCP-SP leader Fahad Ahmed alleged that Mumbai BJP Chief Ameet Satam "is the one running the entire BMC".

" Ameet Satam has finished the essence related to festivals like Diwali, Eid etc," he told IANS.

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