New Delhi | Influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's distasteful comment on parents and sex led to massive outrage across the spectrum on Monday, prompting the YouTuber with almost 16 million followers on social media platforms to apologise and say comedy is not his forte.
The flip remark intended for quick laughs raised hackles instead with politicians, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, activists, social media users and others calling for a ban and slamming him for being crass, vulgar and offensive. The comment was made on the YouTube reality show "India's Got Latent" hosted by comedian Samay Raina, popular amongst some sections for its often offensive content.
Allahbadia, who has over 600,000 followers on X, 4.5 million on Instagram and 10.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, said the comment, which cannot be reproduced here, was a "lapse in judgement". The 31-year-old, popularly known as Beer Biceps, also said he has asked the show creators to remove the controversial segment.
"Comedy is not my forte. Just here to say sorry... Many of you asked if this is how I wish to use my platform.... Family is the last thing that I would ever disrespect. Need to use this platform better and that's been my learning from this whole experience. I promise to just get better... I hope you can forgive me as a human being," he said in a video statement on X.
As the clip of his comment and the loud laughs gained traction, Allahbadia and Raina's show quickly became a trending topic and the subject of furious debate over what constitutes decency and what is comedy.
In Mumbai, a BJP functionary lodged a police complaint against Allahbadia, Raina and participants of the show.
In mounting trouble for him, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo wrote to YouTube's head of public policy in India and asked for "urgent action".
"The complaint highlights concerns regarding the show's propagation of negativity, discriminatory perspectives, religious and cultural intolerance, and disrespectful and obscene ideologies, particularly towards women and children.
"It is further alleged that, under the guise of freedom of speech, the show disseminates obscene and vulgar content along with misleading messages, thereby fostering a corrupt mindset in society," he wrote.
The content in question "prima face appears to be in violation" of various legal provisions under the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Information Technology (IT) Act and other applicable laws, the letter reads.
An official from National Commission for Women (NCW) said they were looking into the matter.
The Maharashtra chief minister said he hasn't seen the clip in question but cautioned people about the limits of freedom of speech.
"Everyone has the freedom of speech but our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others... In our society, we have made some rules, it is absolutely wrong if someone violates them. Action should be taken against them," Fadnavis told reporters.
Allahbadia, whose podcasts feature the rich and the famous, including top Bollywood stars, was one of the online content creators who received a National Creators Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in New Delhi last year. He had earlier partnered with the Digital India Corporation to interview a series of cabinet ministers, including S Jaishankar and Piyush Goyal.
Writer-storyteller Neelesh Misra shared the controversial clip on his X page and said, "Meet the perverted creators who are shaping our country's creative economy."
"... Banal, crass, insensitive are words only for boring uncool people. These creators can say anything in the name of freedom of speech and get away with it," he added.
Sharing Misra's post, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said on X, "This isn’t creative. It’s pervert. And we can’t normalise perverse behaviour as cool. The fact that this sick comment met loud applause must worry us all."
Ashutosh J Dubey, head of the BJP Maharashtra social media legal and advisory department, added on X that he has written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting requesting "an investigation into inappropriate content" by Allahbadia, Raina and his team.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi said abusive language in the name of comedy content cannot be tolerated.
"What level have we fallen to? You have a platform but that does not mean you can say anything. He is someone with millions of subscribers and every minister has been a guest on his podcast. PM has given him an award. You have to understand your responsibility. So I am going to raise this issue as a member of standing committee of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting," Chaturvedi told PTI.
Allahbadia also faced criticism from his own community with many like Dhruv Rathee, also a popular content creator, saying shows like "India's Got Latent" have the same impact on "moral decay of society as films like 'Animal' and they need to be called out".
"The only purpose is to shock and disgust audiences for views, which is having a disastrous impact on the moral development of our youth. However, calling for any govt bans for this is not the solution as it may usher in a harsh censorship regime. Instead, we need to pressurize content creators to make better content," Rathee wrote on X.
A user on X said Allahbadia doesn't deserve to be "respected and followed".
"So unfollowing will be a msg to him. Pls take a social act against the bad social star. Spread it. #Beerbiceps."
Another said she has unsubscribed both Allahbadia and Raina.
Many on social media also shared a clip from a British comedy show "OG Truth or Drink" to claim that Allahbadia had copied his controversial lines from the woman anchor on it.
Guwahati | Amid controversy over influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's objectionable remarks on parents and sex, the Guwahati Police on Monday registered a case against him and four others.
A complaint was registered against them by a resident of the city for allegedly promoting obscenity in a publicly accessible online show.
Besides Allahbadia, the case was also filed against stand-up comedian Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija.
Allahbadia, popularly known as Beer Biceps, has been embroiled in a controversy for making a remark in Raina's YouTube show 'India's Got Latent' which has sparked widespread criticism.
The case is being currently investigated, the police added.
Allahbadia, 31, has since apologised for the remarks made by him on the show.
Mumbai | Amid uproar over influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's crude comments, a Congress worker on Monday filed a complaint in a Mumbai court, seeking a police probe against him, the YouTube reality show where the remarks were made and others, including comedian Samay Raina.
The complaint filed before a Bandra court by Nikhil Ruparel, a member of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), a Congress wing, sought the probe against YouTube reality show "India's Got Latent", its judges and participants, including Allahbadia and Raina, over use of abusive language and vulgar content.
According to the complaint, such comments should not be made in "public discourse as they have the potential to severely degrade societal values."
Allahbadia's distasteful remarks on parents and sex at the reality show led to massive outrage across the spectrum, prompting him to apologise earlier in the day and say comedy is not his forte.
NSUI activist Ruparel urged the court to take cognizance of offences under sections 296 (obscene acts), 352 (intentional insult) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and issue process (summons) against those named in the complaint.
Further, the court may be pleased to order an investigation/inquiry into the matter under the BNS provisions, the plea, filed through an advocate, said.
The complaint maintained the controversial remarks contribute to the normalization of indecent conversations, desensitize individuals to inappropriate discourse, and erode the fundamental principles of respect, dignity, and decency in society.
"The accused, throughout the show, consistently used abusive language, which not only involved offensive and vulgar words but also conveyed such statements that negatively affect societal interactions," it added.
Besides Raina and Allahbadia, comedians Ashish Chanchalani and Apoorva Makhija have also been named in the complaint.
Meanwhile, a BJP functionary earlier in the day separately lodged a police complaint in Mumbai against the makers, judges and participants of the YouTube reality comedy show at the centre of the controversy.
Though no case has been registered so far, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 9) Dixit Gedam said an inquiry was underway into the complaint.
New Delhi | Parliamentarians on Monday frowned on influencer Ranveer Allahbadia remarks made during a YouTube show, terming them as vulgar and unacceptable, and called for regulation of social media.
BJP's Jagdambika Pal and Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said inappropriate and abusive language in the name of comedy was unacceptable.
On a comedy reality series on YouTube, popular among youngsters for its edgy bordering on offensive content, Allahbadia asked a question to a contestant on parents and sex, which has been panned by many on social media.
"Whether on YouTube or social media, inappropriate language needs to be banned …. Regulations regarding this should also be discussed if needed," Pal, the Lok Sabha member from Domariyaganj in Uttar Pradesh, said.
Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha member, said any abusive language in the name of comedy was unacceptable and that she would raise the issue at the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology and Communication.
"He is someone with millions of subscribers, every political leader has sat in his podcast. The Prime Minister has given him an award. You get a platform, that doesn't mean that you will utter anything," she said,
"We need to set boundaries since these platforms influence young minds and they are passing off absolute rubbish as content. The language used by Ranveer Allahbadia which was also actively encouraged by others on that 'comedy panel' is unacceptable," Chaturvedi said.
In a video posted on X on Monday, Allahbadia admitted that his comment was not only inappropriate but also not funny.
Allahbadia, who has over 600,000 followers on X, 4.5 million on Instagram and 10.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, said the comment was a "lapse in judgement". The 31-year-old, popularly known as Beer Biceps, also said he has asked the show creators to remove the controversial segment.
"Comedy is not my forte. Just here to say sorry... Many of you asked if this is how I wish to use my platform.... Family is the last thing that I would ever disrespect. Need to use this platform better and that's been my learning from this whole experience. I promise to just get better... I hope you can forgive me as a human being," he said in a video statement on X.
New Delhi | Amid a raging controversy over influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's objectionable remarks, the National Commission for Women has asked the Centre to take immediate regulatory measures to address serious concerns regarding the increasing prevalence of obscene content on various Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms and social media streaming sites.
In a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has urged him to take swift action by issuing strict guidelines that prevent platforms from streaming or allowing users to upload inappropriate or obscene content, according to an official statement.
Allahbadia's distasteful comment on parents and sex led to massive outrage across the spectrum on Monday, prompting the YouTuber with almost 16 million followers on social media platforms to apologise and say comedy is not his forte. The comment was made on the YouTube reality show "India's Got Latent" hosted by comedian Samay Raina, popular amongst some sections for its often offensive content.
The NCW said such content, which is easily accessible to people of all age groups, has raised alarms about its negative impact on society, particularly on women and children.
The commission highlighted the violation of multiple legal provisions, including under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Information Technology (IT) Act, among others.
Such content not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes but also poses a direct threat to the safety and dignity of women and children, it said.
The NCW has urged the ministry to take swift action by issuing strict guidelines that prevent platforms from streaming or allowing users to upload inappropriate or obscene content.
"The commission called on the authorities to enforce stringent censorship and content moderation systems to protect the public from exposure to harmful material," the statement said.
The NCW has also requested that the action taken by the ministry be communicated to the commission at the earliest to ensure swift follow-up on the matter. The chairperson of NCW has reiterated that ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of women is paramount and must be prioritized across all digital platforms.
