00:00Okay, so while Delhi is struggling with air pollution as it always does at this time of
00:05the year, in Mumbai, the country's commercial capital, there is another controversy that
00:11concerns pollution because a message urging a cracker-free Diwali has triggered a political
00:18storm in Mumbai. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation pulled down a video featuring actor Diyah
00:26Mirza, who is also an ambassador for climate change, after some BJP leaders objected to
00:33her inclusion in this civic body campaign for a cracker-less Diwali. The Bombay High Court
00:42though has questioned the BMC's decision, more so because other celebrities, their videos
00:49haven't been pulled down. So, was Diyah's video pulled down only because she belongs
00:56to a particular religion? The Bombay High Court was very clear, festivities in this great country
01:03of ours do not have a religion, anyone can celebrate them and has pulled up and demanded
01:10that the BMC restore Diyah Mirza's video. Take a look.
01:26An appeal for cleaner air has turned into a political storm. Diyah Mirza's cracker-free Diwali
01:33message was pulled down by the BMC after some city BJP leaders objected to her inclusion in
01:40its campaign. This even as Mumbai battles a sharp rise in air pollution, with the city's
01:46average AQI more than doubling in October compared with the second half of September.
01:51Now, the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the BMC, calling India a secular country.
01:57The court said, a festival is for everyone and no one can be isolated because of their
02:03religion. It called Diyah's message a really good one, stressed that this was purely an
02:09environmental issue and added that asking people to avoid crackers does not take away their right
02:15to celebrate Diwali. The court said it is disturbed by stray comments by some leaders and said it is
02:22ideal to restore the video. But the political backlash has been sharp and Chief Minister Devendra
02:29Fadnavis has defended BMC's decision.
02:31.
02:31.
02:34foreign
02:49foreign
02:51foreign
03:00foreign
03:07foreign
03:08foreign
03:25Diya Mirza, meanwhile, defended the video, saying it was made at the BMC's request and was about public health, not
03:32religion.
03:32At the time when Mumbai is grappling with deteriorating air quality, a campaign urging citizens to cut down on pollution
03:40should have remained a conversation about public health.
03:43Instead, the focus shifted from the message to the messenger.
03:48The High Court has now brought the debate back to where it began, the environment.
03:53But the larger question remains, can a city that celebrates its diversity make an environmental appeal a question of religious
04:01identity?
04:01Bureau Report, India Today
04:04Aap Sabi Ko Dipavani Ki Harthik Shukur
