BJP accuses Dia Mirza, Naseeruddin Shah of selective outrage over pollution

The BJP accused Dia Mirza and Naseeruddin Shah of selective environmental messaging during religious festivals. The Bombay High Court criticised the controversy and directed the BMC to restore Mirza's video.Stock photo used for illustrationNewdelhi,Nov 3, 2026 15:26 ISTThe BJP on Tuesday accused actors Dia Mirza and Naseeruddin Shah of showing "selective outrage" over environmental concerns, alleging that they speak about pollution during Hindu festivals but remain silent during festivals of other religions, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The remarks came amid a controversy over Mirza's video for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's eco-friendly and firecracker-free Diwali campaign. The Bombay High Court expressed "deep pain and displeasure" over the row and asked the civic body to upload her video again.Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "There is selective messaging. You say that people should take care of the environment. But when Eid and Bakrid come, and there is water pollution because goats are slaughtered, people like Naseeruddin Shah and Dia Mirza do not utter a word," according to PTI.Asked about the high court's observations, Bhatia said he had not seen its order and would not comment on it. He, however, alleged that some people who raise concerns about environmental protection and noise pollution during Hindu festivals remain silent during festivals of other religions. "A citizen is always a citizen. If he is concerned about the environment, he should always be concerned. If he is concerned about noise pollution, he should always be concerned. It cannot be that for Hindu festivals you make statements, but for festivals belonging to other religious denominations, you remain silent," Bhatia said.He said such selective expressions of concern affected the credibility of those raising the issues. "This is why I would say that these people lack credibility They do not need to give any message to the Hindu community," he said. Bhatia also said the country functioned according to the law and that citizens must respect court orders. "I believe the followers of Hinduism are tolerant and they also respect the Constitution. We have seen in the past that decisions delivered by the Supreme Court and high courts have been accepted by the citizens, particularly Hindus, and Diwali has been celebrated," he said.Taking note of the Mirza issue on its own, a Bombay High Court bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale on Tuesday said it was anguished by the "petty mindset" of certain people, especially those who represent the common man.The bench said it was "most unfortunate" that such a colour had been given to a video made to spread awareness about the environment and air and noise pollution. It said no person could question why the authorities had chosen a particular celebrity to spread awareness.Mirza's video sparked a political row on Monday after the civic body removed her clip from social media following an objection by Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam and comments by Mayor Ritu Tawde, who labelled the actor "anti-Hindu". While Mirza's clip was removed, similar campaign videos featuring actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane remained on the BMC's X and Instagram pages.Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah had recently released a video supporting student protests in which he embraced labels such as "anti-national" and "tukde-tukde gang" and declared, "I am a Dimagi Naxal", triggering a controversy.The row centres on the BJP's allegation of selective messaging by Mirza and Shah, while the Bombay High Court has criticised the controversy surrounding the environmental awareness video and directed the BMC to restore it.- Ends