The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is expected to issue a show cause notice to comedian Samay Raina for removing the “obscene” content of India’s Got Latent from his YouTube channel. In one of the latest episodes of IGL, Ranveer Allahbadia made remarks about the sexual and intimate relationship between one of the contestants and his parents.
The National Human Rights Commission, based on a complaint filed by Yogendra Singh Thakur, has asked YouTube to remove the video featuring Ranveer Allahbadia’s “obscene” remarks. His comments, along with the nature of the show, have sparked intense trolling from netizens, with some labeling the YouTuber as “perverted” and “vulgar.”
The human rights body, in its letter, said that it had received a complaint from Yogendra Singh Thakur, who alleged that the YouTube show hosted by comedian Samay Raina contained “highly objectionable, inappropriate, and obscene remarks about Indian society.”
“The commission has come across certain links indicating that a certain episode of the aforementioned show features YouTubers making vulgar and explicit statements concerning women and children. The availability of such content on widely accessible platforms, including YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, poses a grave threat to the safety, dignity and the mental well-being of children, including women,”
A source familiar with the matter said, “The MIB has taken note of the incident and will issue a show cause notice for removing the vulgar and obscene content from his YouTube channel.”
It is worth noting that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology recently discussed concerns regarding the vulgarity of content streamed on these platforms. The committee invited three industry organizations—the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), and the Motion Picture Association (MPA)—to address challenges related to OTT content. The committee plans to reconvene for further discussions and to seek solutions from stakeholders.
The meeting was chaired by Nishikant Dubey, with other Members of Parliament, including Priyanka Chaturvedi, S. Niranjan Reddy, and Karthikeya Sharma, in attendance. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson of the CBFC; Uday Singh, Managing Director of the MPA; and Abhay Sinha, President of the IMPPA, spoke extensively about tackling vulgarity in content.
Earlier in March, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked 18 OTT platforms for publishing obscene, vulgar, and, in some cases, pornographic content. The banned platforms included Neufliks, X Prime, Besharams, Mood X, and Prime Play. Additionally, the government restricted public access to 19 websites, 10 apps (seven on the Google Play Store and three on the Apple App Store), and 57 social media accounts linked to these platforms.
Commenting on the controversy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also weighed in, stating, “This is absolutely wrong, and action should be taken against them.”
He added, “…I have come to know about it, but I have not seen it yet. Things have been said and presented in the wrong way. Everyone has freedom of speech, but our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others. In our society, we have set certain rules—if someone violates them, it is absolutely wrong, and action should be taken against them.”