Maharashtra govt orders inquiry by Culture dept officials into Ranveer Allahbadia controversy

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Friday ordered an inquiry into the Ranveer Allahbadia controversy, specifically tasking the Culture Department officials to investigate.

The cultural department, headed by Minister Ashish Shelar ordered an inquiry into the Ranveer Allahbadia controversy. This move comes after complaints were filed regarding vulgarity in Allahbadia’s show, ‘India’s Got Latent’, and other similar shows that have been running without proper permission.

Minister Ashish Shelar.

According to the minister’s office, complaints were received by the department about vulgarity in the show India’s Got Latent and other such shows are being run with tickets to the audience without proper permission. A meeting was convened in the department which was chaired by Minister Ashish Shelar and he has ordered a detailed inquiry after the meeting.

Ranveer Allahbadia, a popular Indian YouTuber and podcaster, has found himself at the centre of a controversy surrounding his comments on the show ‘India’s Got Latent’. The show, which has been criticized for its vulgar and obscene content, has sparked outrage among viewers.

The controversy surrounding ‘India’s Got Latent’ is not new. The show has previously faced criticism for its dark humour, which many find insensitive and obscene. In a related development, Ranveer Allahbadia on Friday approached the Supreme Court seeking to club multiple FIRs lodged against him across India over his recent inappropriate comments during his guest appearance on ‘India’s Got Latent’.

Senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for Allahbadia, mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, requesting an urgent hearing in the case. Advocate Chandrachud told the bench that multiple FIRs were registered against him and that Assam Police had summoned him on Friday.

#WATCH | In Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske raises the issue of YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s offensive comments, says the government should evolve guidelines for content on such programmes on social media.

(Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/1ATpJ1dgCB

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2025

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Naresh Ganpat Mhaske has called for stricter regulations on social media and OTT platforms following the controversy over influencer Ranveer Allahbadia’s alleged offensive remarks.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Mhaske stressed the need for stricter enforcement of existing guidelines and the formulation of additional measures to curb obscenity and inflammatory content. He later stated that while social media influencers have the right to express themselves, they must also uphold India’s culture, history, traditions, and way of life. He warned that crossing the line would invite public backlash.

Amid mounting criticism, Allahbadia issued a public apology. In a video shared on his X account, he acknowledged that his comments were inappropriate and insensitive. “My comment wasn’t just inappropriate; it wasn’t even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry”, Allahbadia said.

He also addressed concerns about his influence on younger audiences, promising to use his platform more responsibly in the future. “Family is the last thing that I would ever disrespect”, he added. Allahbadia requested that the producers of India’s Got Latent remove the “insensitive sections” from the episode in which his comments were made.

“I have asked the makers of the video to remove the insensitive sections from the video. All I can say in the end is sorry, I hope you can forgive me as a human being”, he said.

The Mumbai Police stated that they were unable to get in touch with Ranveer Allahbadia as his phone was switched off, his house was locked, and his lawyer was also unreachable.

On February 11, the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Guwahati Police have registered an FIR against YouTubers and social influencers Allahabadia, Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, and others for promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussions on India’s Got Latent. FIRs have been registered against them in Maharashtra and Assam. (ANI)