MUMBAI: A row over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) pollution-free Diwali campaign featuring actor Dia Mirza has exposed a difference of opinion within Mumbai’s civic leadership, with Mayor Ritu Tawde seeking approval over future celebrity campaigns while Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi backing the actor’s appeal against bursting firecrackers.Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has said the names of celebrities roped in for civic campaigns must be brought to her notice and cleared by her in future.Addressing the media on Monday, Tawde said she was unaware that actor Dia Mirza had been roped in for the campaign. She said she would raise the issue with the civic administration and insist that the names of celebrities associated with BMC campaigns be communicated to her in advance.Tawde also criticised Mirza, describing her as anti-Hindu, and said she opposed those who had spoken against Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any of his campaigns in the past.“Those who oppose Hindutva, we will oppose them. Henceforth, the BMC should not make any public statement without my approval,” she said.Referring to Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam’s social media post opposing the campaign, Tawde said it reflected the position of all BJP corporators.She added that while Mirza was free to post on her personal social media handles, content published through the BMC’s official handles should not go out without the ruling party’s approval.The controversy erupted after the civic body’s anti-firecracker appeal featuring Mirza came under criticism from the BJP leadership, leading to questions over the removal of the actor’s message from the BMC’s social media handles.However, Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi disagreed with the objections raised against the actor’s appeal. Ghadi said he did not believe Mirza had said anything wrong in urging citizens to avoid firecrackers and questioned the need to remove her message.He also said there was no reason for Satam or Tawde to oppose the appeal.
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