Ranveer Allahbadia controversy: Mumbai Police team reaches India's Got Latent studio amid outrage

A Mumbai Police team was dispatched to the India's Got Latent studio on Monday amid outrage over comments made by influencer Ranveer Allahbadia. A formal complaint has also been lodged against the YouTuber following his distasteful comments during a recent episode of the Samay Raina-led show.

The complaint was registered by a BJP functionary on Monday morning with both the Mumbai Commissioner and the Maharashtra Women's Commission. It alleged that abusive language was used on the show and demanded strict legal action against the accused. The letter named Allahbadia as well as social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, comedian Samay Raina, and the organizers of 'India's Got Latent'. Officials said that an inquiry had been initiated into the matter but a case is yet to be registered.

‘Deliberately obscene’

The comments — which were made jokingly during a recent episode — have sparked widespread outrage. The complaint also noted that the accused were seen laughing and making inappropriate jokes about women during the broadcast — described as a serious offence. It accused the organizers and participants of deliberately making obscene remarks about women's private parts with the intent to gain popularity and financial gain through the online broadcast.

Ranveer Allahbadia issues apology

The popular influencer issued an apology for his controversial comment on Monday — describing the entire episode as a “lapse in judgment”. He also claimed that comedy was not his forte and reiterated the “need to use this platform better”.

“Many of you asked if this how I wish to use my platform. Obviously, this is not how I wish to use my platform. I am not going to give any context, justification or reasoning behind whatever happened. I am just here for an apology. I, personally, had a lapse in judgement. It wasn't cool on my part,” he said in a video message.

Political outrage

The comments have also prompted backlash from politicians across party lines — including the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also reiterated the need to exercise freedom of speech without encroaching on the rights of others.

“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.” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)