With Diwali approaching and concerns over rising pollution gaining attention, several celebrities have been urging people to celebrate the festival without firecrackers. A few days ago, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shared an awareness video featuring Dia Mirza, encouraging citizens to opt for an eco-friendly Diwali. However, the video was subsequently taken down following objections from several political leaders. Amid the ongoing controversy, Alia Bhatt’s mother, actor Soni Razdan, has now spoken out against bursting firecrackers, describing the practice as ‘anti-national’.On Wednesday, Soni took to Instagram to share her views on the impact of firecrackers on air quality and children’s health. Highlighting how pollution affects young children, she urged people to reconsider bursting crackers this Diwali. In her post, she wrote, “Any parent of a young child will tell you how much their children are suffering because of air pollution. How many school days they miss because of illness. So if you tell me that, in such circumstances, it is perfectly alright to burst even one cracker this Diwali, I can only say that it seems to me to be anti-life, anti-health, and yes… anti-national. Health is a choice we make for ourselves and our children. Let us make the right one.”Soni also turned off the comments section on her Instagram post. Her remarks come amid the debate surrounding Dia Mirza’s awareness video, which was shared by the Mumbai civic body before being deleted.In the video, Dia had appealed to Mumbaikars to celebrate the festival while keeping the environment and public health in mind. She said, “Hello Mumbaikars, it’s the festive season, and while we celebrate a happy Diwali, we have to think about the environment and our health too. The noise and air pollution caused by firecrackers are harmful for all of us. I urge all of you to celebrate Diwali not with noise, but with happiness. Festive greetings to all of you.”The video was removed by the BMC after objections from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Following its deletion, Dia issued a statement explaining the intention behind the campaign. She said, “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.”The controversy also prompted Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde to address the issue during a press conference, as reported by PTI. Explaining why Dia’s video was removed, she said, “Our problem is not with the message that was shared, but with the celebrity that was appointed for the campaign. If we look at Dia Mirza’s entire profile, we see that she has opposed the Narmada project and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). She has also spoken against efforts to address the environmental crisis—an area in which we ourselves have been working. She has even opposed statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Consistently, her opposition appears to be directed against Hindutva. Therefore, before appointing any celebrity for such a campaign, the elected representatives should have been consulted by the administration. There are other celebrities who are giving out messages. We have not removed any of their videos. Just as I am working towards women empowerment and environmental protection, I am working as a foot soldier of Hindutva, and those who oppose Hindutva will face opposition from us. She has always been anti-Hindu. We have blacklisted her.”Apart from Dia, the BMC’s awareness campaign also featured actor Madhuri Dixit and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane. However, only Dia’s video was removed from the civic body’s social media platforms.Meanwhile, Soni Razdan was last seen in Netflix India’s web series ‘Shaque’.
