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BMC removes Dia Mirza Diwali video after BJP objection

Actor's pollution-awareness clip taken down by Mumbai civic body following criticism

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
BMC deletes Dia Mirza's Diwali video (Credit: Instagram)

What this story says

  • The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza from its pollution-free Diwali campaign.
  • The removal followed objections from BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam, who stated people know how to celebrate festivals.
  • Mumbai Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi expressed displeasure and called for the video's restoration.
  • Dia Mirza issued a statement saying air pollution is a public health concern.

Who covered it

Left 17%(2)Centre 25%(3)Right 58%(7)

Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 12 of the 24 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

68/100

Craft

87/100

Hype

25/100

24 sources · methodology

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza from its social media as part of an anti-pollution Diwali campaign. The action was taken after BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam objected to the video. Satam stated that people know how to celebrate festivals and do not need to be given lessons. The BJP and Shiv Sena also criticised the video, with some reports indicating they said people know how to celebrate festivals.

Dia Mirza responded to the controversy, stating that air pollution is a public health concern and efforts to reduce it are important for the environment. Mumbai Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi expressed his displeasure with the BMC's decision to remove the video and called for its restoration. The Economic Times noted that the BMC removed Mirza's clip but retained others.

Disagreement on the reason for removal

The Siasat Daily, The Hindu, The Free Press Journal, and The Print reported that the BMC removed the video following objections from BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam. The Times of India stated that the BMC faced pressure from the BJP to take down the video after Satam expressed concerns over Mirza's involvement. India Today reported the BMC deleted the video after Ameet Satam objected, adding that the deletion was unexplained by the civic body and sparked mixed reactions online. In contrast, The Economic Times' full report stated, 'BMC removed Dia Mirza's Diwali video' without attributing the reason to an objection.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mentioned Dia Mirza's statement that air pollution is a public health concern. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned Dia Mirza's statement that air pollution is a public health concern. None of the right-rated digests mentioned Dia Mirza's statement that air pollution is a public health concern.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 2 Nov 2026, 10:15, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

2 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports from The Siasat Daily and The Hindu led with the BMC taking down Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali video after an objection from BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam. The Hindu's digest included a quote from Satam stating, 'We don’t need lessons on how to celebrate #Diwali from @deespeak. Our traditions are deeply rooted in our culture.'

Centre

3 rated outlets

  • The centre-rated reports from The Economic Times, Hindustan Times, and The Statesman focused on the BMC removing Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali video after BJP leaders objected. Hindustan Times included an exclusive quote from Dia Mirza stating the video was recorded in the interest of public awareness. The Statesman's digest highlighted the BJP's criticism, quoting 'Our firecrackers are small'.

Right

7 rated outlets

  • The right-rated reports from Rediff.com, India TV News, ABP News, Tribune India, The Print, India Today, and Times of India all highlighted the BMC's removal of Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali video following objections from BJP leaders, particularly Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam. Several of these reports, including India TV News, ABP News, and Times of India, included the sentiment that people do not need lessons on how to celebrate Diwali. The Times of India digest noted that Satam expressed concerns over Mirza's links to a particular organisation.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover BMC removes Dia Mirza Diwali video after BJP objection?
Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 17% are rated left, 25% are rated centre, 58% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 24. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is BMC removes Dia Mirza Diwali video after BJP objection left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 17% are rated left, 25% are rated centre, 58% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of BMC removes Dia Mirza Diwali video after BJP objection biased?
BMC removes Dia Mirza Diwali video after BJP objection is one event reported by 24 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered BMC removes Dia Mirza Diwali video after BJP objection?
24 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
Why did the BMC remove Dia Mirza's Diwali video?
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation removed Dia Mirza's pollution-free Diwali video after BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam objected to her participation in the campaign. Satam stated that people know how to celebrate festivals and do not need to be given lessons.
What was Dia Mirza's response to the controversy?
Dia Mirza issued a statement reiterating that air pollution is a public health concern and that efforts to reduce it are important for the environment. She also reportedly spoke with municipal officials after Ameet Satam's tweet.
Did any officials support Dia Mirza?
Yes, Mumbai Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi expressed his displeasure over the BMC's decision to remove the video and called for its restoration. This was reported by India TV News and other outlets.

Read it at the source

24 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

2

Centre

3

Right

7

Not rated

12
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How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Dia Mirza BMC video removed | MediaBias News