Dia Mirza’s Diwali video sparks power struggle over who runs Mumbai

A fresh controversy erupted in Maharashtra after the Mumbai civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), released a crackers-free Diwali campaign video featuring actor Dia Mirza, prompting objections from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

As criticism mounted, with prominent leaders such as Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde joining the backlash, the civic body removed the video from its social media handles, but retained the ones shot by cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and actor Madhuri Dixit. The controversy, however, extended beyond Dia Mirza's Diwali video, bringing to the surface the underlying power clash between the BMC and the Mumbai Mayor.

After BMC's Diwali campaign video starring Dia Mirza went live, Ritu Tawde called a press conference and alleged that she was not consulted by the civic authorities about roping in the actor. ".before appointing any celebrity for such a campaign, the elected representatives should have been consulted by the administration," she said.

This was not an isolated incident. In September, the BMC had announced plans to demolish illegal structures exceeding 14 feet in height as part of its crackdown on unauthorised encroachments in Mumbai. Then, the Mayor and other Opposition members argued that the elected representatives were not consulted in the process.