Following a formal complaint against comedian Samay Raina, social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, and the producers of the show “India’s Got Latent” for a number of alleged offensive and controversial remarks, the Mumbai police have opened an investigation. “An investigation is underway,” Mumbai police authorities declared.
The complaint, which has been filed with the Maharashtra Women’s Commission and the Mumbai Commissioner, claims that the show used derogatory language. Strict legal action against the perpetrator has been urged by the complaint. After Allahbadia’s comments during a YouTube edition of “India’s Got Latent” were judged inappropriate and disparaging, the dispute broke out.
Despite being made in jest, the remarks caused a great deal of outrage. According to the complaint, the participants and organizers purposefully made offensive comments about women’s private areas in order to increase their online broadcast’s popularity and revenue. The complainant characterizes the accused’s laughter and offensive comments about women in the broadcast, which was published on YouTube and aired worldwide, as a significant offense.
In the meantime, after receiving criticism, Allahbadia publicly apologized on X (previously Twitter), saying he was sorry for his comments and that they were insensitive and unsuitable. In a video, Allahbadia said, “I shouldn’t have said what I said on India’s Got Latent. I’m sorry.” He further admitted, “My comment wasn’t just inappropriate, it wasn’t even funny. Comedy is not my forte. I personally had a lapse in judgement that wasn’t cool on my part, especially on a platform watched by people of all ages.” The influencer stressed his commitment to using his platform responsibly, stating, “Family is the last thing I would ever disrespect. [I] need to use this platform better—that’s been my learning from the whole experience.”
Allahbadia stated that he has asked the video’s creators to take down the offensive parts and pledged to do better in the future. “All I can say is, I’m sorry,” he said, requesting forgiveness as he wrapped up his remarks. I sincerely hope you will pardon me for being a human.
The complaint emphasized that these statements were made with the goal of making money off of controversy, disregarding the damage done to women’s dignity or the detrimental impact they might have had on young audiences, especially children. In response to the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I have come to know about it. I have not seen it yet. Things have been said and presented in a wrong way. Everyone has freedom of speech, but our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others. In our society, we have made some rules, if someone violates them, it is absolutely wrong, and action should be taken against them.”
Rekha Sharma, a Rajya Sabha MP and former head of the National Commission for Women (NCW), too voiced her dismay at the comments. “The video is very shocking and I think whether it is a female or a male, this kind of joke is never accepted by society. Making jokes about a mother or a female’s body doesn’t look good and somewhere it shows how today’s youth has stooped down to such a level morally. I think such jokes affect others who are engaged in similar creative things. I have just forwarded that video to the NCW Chairperson to take action.”
Shiv Sena, through its spokesperson Raju Wagamare, also condemned the remarks made on the show. The spokesperson issued a stern warning to the producers, “In the State of Maharashtra, under the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj, such language will not be tolerated. They should stop all this immediately; otherwise, we will take action in our own style.”
The complainant highlights the incident’s seriousness and its detrimental impact on women’s honor in the complaint. “Through this complaint letter, I wish to draw your attention to a highly sensitive incident. The actions of these individuals have caused harm to women’s dignity and honour. They have deliberately made obscene comments about women’s private parts with the intent of gaining popularity and making money.”
The letter continues by demanding that the broadcast be stopped and that the organizers of India’s Got Latent face urgent legal action. The complainant emphasizes that a First Information Report (FIR) should be made against everyone involved in the incident and that criminal charges should be brought against the show’s organizers under the Indian Penal Code.
