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With podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia's crass remarks at a roast show becoming a national talking point, the two factions of Shiv Sena are competing with each other to take up the issue in Parliament and score political points.
Soon after a video of Allahbadia's remarks went viral and sparked massive outrage, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, said she would raise the matter before a Parliamentary panel. And today, Naresh Mhaske, Lok Sabha MP from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, said in the House that the government should take steps to regulate such online content.
Ms Chaturvedi has said abusive language in the name of comedy is unacceptable. "You get a platform, that doesn't mean that you will utter anything. He is someone with millions of subscribers, every political has sat in his podcast. PM has given him an award... As a member of standing committee of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, I will raise this issue," she said in a post on X.
Several MPs, it is learnt, have submitted complaints against the podcaster. The Parliamentary panel on Information Technology is discussing whether to summon him. Allahbadia may be issued a notice and asked to appear and answer questions linked to the row.
Raising the matter in Lok Sabha, Mr Mhaske said there is no censor when it comes to online platforms and content creators are taking advantage of this. "A specific norm should be framed against this. I am talking about this in the Parliament. Ranveer Allahbadia made wrong comments about mother and father. They are trying to ruin our culture and tradition. In the name of democracy, they are making wrong remarks. There is no censor on OTT platforms," he said.
Mr Mhaske also flagged remarks about politicians on online platforms. "The Centre must look into this. A Censor should be brought and strict rules framed for OTT platforms," said Mr Mhaske, MP from Maharashtra's Thane.
Allahbadia, who has 4.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.05 crore YouTube subscribers, now faces a police case for his remarks on India's Got Latent. Also known as the BeerBiceps Guy, he recently appeared in an episode of India's Got Latent hosted by comic Samay Raina. A short clip from the show shows Allahbadia asking a contestant, "Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever."
The remark sparked a huge row and led to several police complaints against the podcaster, Raina and others linked to the show. Assam Police have also registered an FIR.
Allahbadia has issued an apology and said comedy was not his forte and that he had a lapse in judgement. "My comment wasn't just inappropriate, it was not even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry," he said in a video message.
The podcaster said this was not how he wished to use his platform. "I am not going to give any context or 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.