Mumbai, November 3: The Bombay High Court has expressed concern over the removal of a Diwali advertisement featuring actor Dia Mirza. The advertisement was part of a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) awareness campaign. The campaign highlighted pollution caused by firecrackers.
The civic body removed the video following objections from Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam. Both questioned Dia Mirza's participation in the campaign. They described her inclusion as unfortunate and said the campaign had been given a different colour.
The BMC subsequently deleted the video. However, the civic body did not publicly explain its decision.
During Tuesday's hearing, the Bombay High Court expressed displeasure over the controversy. The court said it was disturbed by comments targeting celebrities who supported the public awareness campaign.
The judges observed that the BMC had taken effective steps. The participating celebrities had also conveyed a message of togetherness. The court said such an initiative should not become a platform for political factionalism.
The High Court also emphasised Mumbai's tradition of togetherness. It observed that loose political comments should not disturb the city's social balance.
The court suggested that restoring the deleted video would be an ideal step. It said such a move would help restore public confidence in the Constitution.
However, the High Court left the final decision to the BMC. The court's observations indicated that restoring the advertisement would be the appropriate course of action.
