New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned influencer Ranveer Allahbadia and others in connection with the controversy surrounding an episode of the YouTube show India’s Got Latent. The commission has asked Allahbadia, comedians Samay Raina, Apoorva Makhija, Jaspreet Singh, Ashish Chanchlani, and the show’s producers Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra to appear before it on February 17 in New Delhi.
The summons follows widespread outrage over comments made in the episode, which sparked debates on freedom of speech and online content regulation. YouTube has since taken down the controversial episode following government orders.
The issue was raised in Parliament, with Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske demanding stricter regulation of social media content. “There should be censorship on influencers’ content. I raised this issue in Parliament, suggesting action against them,” Mhaske told PTI.
Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi also weighed in, stating that her ministry would seek a report from the NCW. Meanwhile, the commission has urged Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to introduce regulatory measures for online content.
Senior Ministry of Information and Broadcasting adviser Kanchan Gupta confirmed the episode’s removal, stating on X, “The India Has Latent (India’s Got Latent) episode on @YouTube with obscene and perverse comments by Ranveer Allahbadia has been blocked following Government of India orders.”
Police Action And Investigations
Mumbai Police were seen outside Allahbadia’s residence on Tuesday, with cases filed against him in Guwahati and Indore. The Maharashtra Cyber Department has also registered a case under the IT Act and ordered the removal of all 18 episodes of the show.
A police official stated that summonses are being issued to nearly 30 guests who have participated in the show since its launch.
Public, Industry Reactions
The controversy has led to backlash from politicians and celebrities alike. BJP MP Ravi Kishan termed the incident “sad,” stating, “The experiment that they have done, they have broken the law.”
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali commented, “Obscenity is a subject that looks bad and anybody would agree. But people are immature, so their mistakes should also not be taken seriously.” Actor Manoj Bajpayee added, “Those achieving success at a young age should understand the environment. This is why I say, please read the newspaper.”
Veteran actor Raza Murad emphasized that democracy should not be used as a shield for vulgarity. “Some people say such things, some people abuse, and there is no restriction on them yet. But better late than never,” he said.
Mukesh Khanna called Allahbadia’s remark “vulgar and irresponsible.” He added, “The problem is the youth today has been given too much liberty in the name of ‘freedom of expression’… I saw the video. He made a shameful statement, and those around him laughed instead of objecting.”
Support And Defense
Amidst the backlash, some have defended Allahbadia and his co-panelists. Fashion influencer Uorfi Javed, who previously walked out of an India’s Got Latent episode, stated, “What they said was distasteful, yes, but I don’t think they deserve to go to jail for that.”
Actor Rakhi Sawant also urged the public to forgive Allahbadia, calling for an end to the controversy.
Meanwhile, comedian Samay Raina, a key figure in the episode, has yet to comment publicly as he is currently on a comedy tour in the US.
(With PTI inputs)
