Bombay HC said the comments on actor Dia Mirza’s video were ‘stray thoughts of one or two persons’
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. “What has been reported is most unfortunate, to say the least.
Mumbai: Bombay HC on Tuesday said it was “unfortunate” that BMC had removed from its social pages a video of actor Dia Mirza urging citizens to avoid firecrackers as part of its anti-pollution campaign. It suggested that the post be “put back” to restore people’s confidence. Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said they were “disturbed by comments which were made by certain persons in regard to celebrities who had participated and assisted in public cause”. There could not have been any other colour which could be given, and more particularly, when there are directions of the court,” said Justice Kulkarni. Pointing out that it was “really upset” over Mirza’s post being removed, the bench 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 did not approve of BMC’s move. The judges said Mirza “had rendered a very very good message only in terms of environment, noise pollution and air pollution”. Most unfortunate,” said Justice Kulkarni. And these are stray thoughts of one or two persons,” said Justice Kulkarni. It had asked for celebrities and famous personalities’ involvement in the campaign “because their appeal to the masses is more”. 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”.
Celebrities were roped in for the campaign after HC’s nudge last week. “Somebody is voluntarily coming forward, who has always been associated with social causes, and you are going to reprimand that person. “There was nothing. There was no question of objection and no question of giving any colour. The judges 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.