Soni Razdan faces backlash after saying bursting firecrackers on Diwali is “anti-national,” with some social media users accusing her of framing the issue as religious or political. In an Instagram post, she argues the practice harms children’s health and worsens air pollution. NDTV and the Free Press Journal report she later clarified her comments were about air and public health, not religion.
Several outlets also link the controversy to a separate row involving Dia Mirza’s anti-firecracker awareness video. NDTV and Times of India say the message was taken down after political objections, while Mirza’s initiative had previously been promoted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Times of India places the remarks in the wider context of Diwali coverage focused on environmental and health impacts.
Across reports, the core dispute centers on Razdan’s use of the phrase “anti-national,” which she says was misunderstood or “twisted.” NDTV further reports that she disables Instagram comments amid the dispute, while the Free Press Journal includes her explanation on social media about choosing not to burst crackers and what it does—or does not—signal.
