Diwali Row: Ashok Pandit Hits Out at BMC Commissioner

A fresh controversy has erupted over Diwali messaging after filmmaker Ashok Pandit criticised BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide for a video urging people to avoid firecrackers during the festival.

Bhide's video, shared as part of the BMC's Diwali campaign on social media, featured celebrities promoting a pollution-free festival and discouraging the bursting of crackers.

Pandit, who is a film director, responded with an Instagram video that expressed strong displeasure. He said the commissioner was using entertainment personalities to put his views across, and that people did not need lectures on how to celebrate their festivals.

In his remarks, Pandit said that Bhide was a senior IAS officer but that the public did not require instructions on protecting the environment or observing festivals. He added that he had never seen the commissioner urge people to avoid Eid celebrations or Christmas crackers, and questioned why the BMC did not speak out in the same manner on other occasions.

The director also pointed to what he described as the civic body's shortcomings. He said that the BMC was not managing its own responsibilities, such as removing banners, clearing gutters and ensuring clean water supply, while still advising residents on how to celebrate Diwali.

He declared that the festival belonged to the people and would be celebrated the way it always had been. Pandit then requested Bhide to delete all social media posts he had made about Diwali and other festivals, describing the commissioner as a wise person who should understand the concern.