Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday broke his silence on the controversy surrounding the deletion of actress Dia Mirza’s Diwali awareness video from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) social media platforms, saying the civic body has the right to decide what content it publishes or removes.
The controversy erupted after the BMC deleted a video featuring Dia Mirza as part of its eco-friendly and firecracker-free Diwali awareness campaign, which also included Madhuri Dixit and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane. The video was removed following criticism from BJP MLA Amit Satam, while Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde attributed the issue to the civic body’s social media agency and administrative processes.
Speaking to reporters in Pune after inaugurating the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro route, Fadnavis said he did not believe the Bombay High Court had reprimanded anyone, adding that the matter had not come before the court as a formal case.
Responding to questions about the video’s removal, the Chief Minister said the BMC was within its rights to decide what content appeared on its official social media handles.
“Whoever owns the social media handle has the authority to decide what content to publish or remove. The BMC acted according to its own discretion,” he said.
Referring to Dia Mirza, Fadnavis remarked that while she is a renowned and successful actress, she is not a major national political leader, describing the controversy as a minor issue.
Meanwhile, Dia Mirza defended her message, saying she had merely spoken in favour of a pollution-free Diwali and questioned what was wrong with advocating an eco-friendly festival.
Earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court expressed strong displeasure over the removal of the video. Without naming anyone directly, the court observed that in a secular country like India, it was unfortunate to assign communal angles to celebrities participating in campaigns for the public good.
The court also directed the municipal administration to restore and re-broadcast Dia Mirza’s removed awareness video.