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J&K leaders react to Samay Raina's Kashmiri-Bihari row: 'Valley incomplete without Kashmiri pandits'
A Shiv Sena leader said ‘humour should be taken as humor’, while a BJP MLA slammed Raina, saying Kashmiri Pandits cannot be treated as subjects of ridicule.
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Samay Raina is again in controversy over his India's Got Latent show after a Kashmiri-Bihari banter with comedian Sharon Verma in the latest episode of show's second season. The banter kicked up a row as several politicians called him out over the remarks.
While Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam said ‘humour should be taken as humor’, Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam slammed Raina, saying Kashmiri Pandits cannot be treated as subjects of ridicule.
The controversy erupted over the duo's conversation during the show after Raina said, “You know, Sharon Verma is a Bihari who came to Mumbai in search of a job. Just Bihari things.” To this, Verma replied, “At least I left my state by my choice.” For context, Verma is from Bihar, and Raina is a Kashmiri Pandit.
Deep Dive
The fresh row of Raina's show also prompted comments from political leaders from J&K as well.
Here is what the J&K leaders said:
‘Why treat it so seriously’
BJP leader Rakesh Kaul took a rather neutral stand and said that the words of comedians can be interpreted in both positive and negative ways depending on the context.
“If we look at history, people from Bihar have moved all over India for work and to earn a livelihood because of a lack of resources in their home state... However, one shouldn't overanalyse these things. A comedian is just a comedian. Their job is simply to make people laugh. You saw Samay Raina on 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' recently. Amitabh Bachchan himself enjoyed the interaction and didn't take issue with anything said... Ultimately, this is a comedy show. So why treat it so seriously,” Kaul said.
‘They didn’t leave homes out of choice'
A leader of Mehbooba Mufti's PDP expressed sympathy with Kashmiri Pandits who had to leave their homes in Kashmir ,at the beginning of militancy in early 1990s. “The land of Jammu & Kashmir remains incomplete without (Kashmiri Pandits)... They did not leave their homes out of mere choice. The way these personalities are sometimes treated, there is no room for such conduct in either religion or humanity... We await their return, but wherever they are, they deserve great respect,” PDP leader Syed Tajamul Islam told news agency ANI.
‘Sharon Verma ought to do her homework’
Dilip Pandita, a Kashmiri Hindu, made sharp attack at Sharon Verma, condemning her remarks. “I strongly condemn Sharon Verma's statement. I do not believe she was even born when the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits happened. Sharon Verma ought to do her homework... I am a victim of terrorism, not a victim of economic hardship. I did not need a job,” he said.
'Mischievous acts'
J&K BJP MLA RS Pathania condemned the remarks made on Raina's Latent show and said, “India has a collective flow, a collective sentiment, India has a history, India has a tradition, and India has a golden future. Mischievous acts like this have previously led to fines on Samay Raina, but by tearing apart the guidelines set by law, the Constitution, and social ethics, he has made the remark again.”
Why Samay Raina was in trouble earlier
Raina ran into controversy in February 2025 over his YouTube show India’s Got Latent and faced legal action over allegations of promoting obscenity and sexually explicit content. The row erupted after guest Ranveer Allahbadia's remarks on an episode, which resulted in widespread backlash, resulting in multiple FIRs and legal challenges to the show. However, Raina announced a comeback of India's Got Latent a couple of months ago, and five episodes from the show's second season have already been released on YouTube.
The Supreme Court last week quashed all FIRs against comedian Raina and four others over alleged insensitive jokes about persons with disabilities during his 'India's Got Latent' show.
