'Aren't we secular?' HC asks BMC to restore actor Dia Mirza's anti-cracker post

MUMBAI: Bombay HC said it's "unfortunate" BMC had removed from its social media pages a video of actor Dia Mirza urging citizens to avoid crackers as part of the anti-pollution drive. It suggested the post be "put back" to restore people's confidence, reports Rosy Sequeira.HC said it was "disturbed by comments in regard to celebrities who had participated and assisted in public cause". It further said, "There could not have been any other colour which could be given, and more particularly, when there are court directions." It asked, "How do you object to a person's participation? Are we not a secular country?"Celebrities were roped in for BMC’s campaign against firecrackers after HC’s nudge last week. Pointing out that it was “really upset” over actor Dia Mirza’s post being removed, Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said, “We would desire that in the event any goodwill message of any celebrity was taken off from the corporation’s social media, it would be ideal if the same is put back in the spirit of what Supreme Court observed that the festival is for everybody to celebrate.”Justice Kulkarni said they didn’t approve of BMC’s move. “Somebody is voluntarily coming forward, who has always been associated with social causes, and you are going to reprimand that person. With all this petty-mindedness.”The judges said Mirza “had rendered a very very good message in terms of environment, noise pollution and air pollution”. “There was nothing. There was no question of objection. No question of giving any colour. Most unfortunate,” said Justice Kulkarni.HC suggested that BMC reupload the video. “...it should not have been taken off... please put it again and restore the confidence of the people in the Constitution and society... This is a constitutional requirement, not this kind of thought. And these are stray thoughts of one or two persons,” said Justice KulkarniHC said environment, air and noise pollution are of paramount concerns, and every person can canvass and “bring this sensitisation to the public fore”. “Therefore, [asking] why X person was picked up etc is not a good thing,” said Justice Kulkarni.Hearing a suo motu PIL on festival noise and air pollution due to firecrackers, HC had on Oct 26 said it expected celebrities to voluntarily come forward to spread awareness. On Tuesday, the judges told BMC’s advocate Joel Carlos to congratulate civic chief Ashwini Bhide for the “impeccable steps she has taken”, particularly by getting celebrities to spread awareness. State’s advocate Jyoti Chavan said the HC order had created so much goodwill that celebrities “suo motu approached us”.The bench cited Supreme Court’s Monday order that Diwali is a national festival and also referred to raising of awareness by celebrities. It asked whether SC and HC orders have any qualification.The judges said their order seeking measures to keep the bursting of firecrackers in check wasn’t just for Diwali but also for “all 365 days”. They directed the state govt and other authorities to endeavour to implement timings for the bursting of firecrackers.