Soni Razdan clarifies ‘anti-national’ remark on Diwali crackers after backlash: “This is NOT about religion”
Soni Razdan has clarified her recent remarks about bursting firecrackers on Diwali after facing criticism on social media. A day after describing the practice as ‘anti-national’, the actor took to X to explain the context behind her statement, stressing that her comments were about rising air pollution and public health rather than religion.
The controversy began when Soni used the term ‘anti-national’ while expressing concern over the impact of firecrackers on air quality. Addressing the reactions to her post, the actor said that her message was being misunderstood and urged people not to give it a religious angle. She maintained that bursting firecrackers does not determine a person’s patriotism, but knowingly contributing to pollution that affects the health of others is irresponsible.
In her clarification, Soni wrote, “Let me clarify something, since my use of the word anti-national seems to have caused so much confusion. Bursting crackers is not what makes you nationalistic. And choosing not to burst them is certainly not anti-national. What I find deeply irresponsible, however, is knowingly contributing to the appalling air pollution that is making it increasingly difficult for people to breathe. If we are going to use the term anti-national, then surely putting the health of an entire community at risk for the sake of a few moments of personal pleasure is a far more relevant place to start.”
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The actor further emphasised that her concern was the health of children and citizens affected by deteriorating air quality. Pointing out how children are falling ill and missing school because of pollution, she reiterated that the issue should not be viewed through the lens of religion or faith.
“This is NOT about religion. It is about AIR. It is about children falling ill, missing school and struggling to breathe. It is about the health and wellbeing of every citizen of this country, irrespective of their religion, faith or beliefs. Please don’t twist a simple message about collective responsibility into something it was never intended to be. Because these are your children too. They are everyone’s children. And they deserve to breathe clean air. Surely that is something we can all agree on?” Soni signed off.
In her earlier post, the actor had highlighted how air pollution affects children, particularly those who suffer from health issues and miss school because of illness. She had written, “Any parent of a young child will tell you how much their children are suffering because of air pollution. How many school days they miss because of illness. So if you tell me that, in such circumstances, it is perfectly alright to burst even one cracker this Diwali, I can only say that it seems to me to be anti-life, anti-health and yes… anti-national.”
Soni’s clarification comes amid a wider discussion around pollution-free Diwali celebrations, which also involved actor Dia Mirza. Her awareness video promoting a pollution-free Diwali was removed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following an objection from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The matter subsequently reached the Bombay High Court, which questioned the civic body’s decision and highlighted that environmental concerns affect everyone, irrespective of religion or caste. Emphasising the secular nature of the country, the court observed, “We have not seen any politician or any person who made remarks yesterday put up videos spreading awareness. We are a secular country. We are really hurt by this. The issue pertains to the environment and every person, irrespective of their religion and caste, is breathing the same air.”
The court also directed the BMC to re-upload Dia Mirza’s deleted video, bringing the focus back to the larger discussion around air pollution and public health.
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