BJD MP calls Ranveer Allahbadia's remarks 'unfortunate', says 'will raise issue in standing committee'
Ranveer Allahbadia's controversial remarks on Samay Raina's YouTube show have led to legal cases against him and others on the panel for promoting obscenity.
The mounting troubles for podcaster and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, who got himself embroiled in a huge controversy over his remarks on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show ‘India’s Got Latent’, don’t seem to end. In a latest criticism from yet another politician, Biju Janata Dal’s MP Sasmit Patra said that the incident was ‘unfortunate’, calling for ‘stricter guidelines and measures’.
While talking to news agency ANI, Patra said, “It is extremely unfortunate and as a member of the Parliamentary standing committee on Communication and IT, which also has information and broadcasting as part of it, I am going to take up this matter in the committee since we are going to meet shortly for demand for grants. I want there to be stricter guidelines and stricter punishment measures for such disparaging remarks that are used so loosely, especially when such young impressionable minds follow such YouTubers.”
“I strongly condemned it yesterday, I strongly condemn it now. I hope the investigation agencies are doing their jobs, they should do it well and appropriate action should be taken,” he added.
This was yet another addition in a series of criticism that Ranveer Allahbadia, aka the BeerBiceps guy, has attracted from politicians due to his remarks. Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi doubled down on her attack on the YouTuber, calling the language of his comments “offensive” and “pervasive”. She also said that if content creators don’t “self regulate”, the state is forced to intervene.
“The Chairman of Rajya Sabha has been kind enough to allow me to raise this in zero hour today. It is not only about this content, there are several content creators who have been thriving on these platforms, and getting away with accountability,” she added while talking to news agency PTI.
Cases filed against Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina
Ranveer Allahbadia, along with comedian Samay Raina, content creator Apoorva Mukhija (the rebel kid), and others present on the panel of the show are facing cases over Allahbadia’s remarks and their supposed role in promoting them. A case has been filed against them in Assam’s Guwahati “for promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion,” said chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. They are also facing FIRs in Mumbai.
Ranveer Allahbadia, who has 10.5 million subscribers on YouTube, admitted to his “lapse of judgement” and issued a public apology through a video on his social media platforms after the huge uproar over his comments.
