Amid uproar over influencer Ranveer Allahbadia's crude comments, a Congress worker on Monday filed a complaint in a Mumbai court, seeking a police probe against him, the YouTube reality show where the remarks were made and others, including comedian Samay Raina.
The complaint filed before a Bandra court by Nikhil Ruparel, a member of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), a Congress wing, sought the probe against YouTube reality show "India's Got Latent", its judges and participants, including Allahbadia and Raina, over use of abusive language and vulgar content.
According to the complaint, such comments should not be made in "public discourse as they have the potential to severely degrade societal values."
Allahbadia's distasteful remarks on parents and sex at the reality show led to massive outrage across the spectrum, prompting him to apologise earlier in the day and say comedy is not his forte.
NSUI activist Ruparel urged the court to take cognizance of offences under sections 296 (obscene acts), 352 (intentional insult) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and issue process (summons) against those named in the complaint.
Further, the court may be pleased to order an investigation/inquiry into the matter under the BNS provisions, the plea, filed through an advocate, said.
The complaint maintained the controversial remarks contribute to the normalization of indecent conversations, desensitize individuals to inappropriate discourse, and erode the fundamental principles of respect, dignity, and decency in society.
"The accused, throughout the show, consistently used abusive language, which not only involved offensive and vulgar words but also conveyed such statements that negatively affect societal interactions," it added.
Besides Raina and Allahbadia, comedians Ashish Chanchalani and Apoorva Makhija have also been named in the complaint.
Meanwhile, a BJP functionary earlier in the day separately lodged a police complaint in Mumbai against the makers, judges and participants of the YouTube reality comedy show at the centre of the controversy.
Though no case has been registered so far, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 9) Dixit Gedam said an inquiry was underway into the complaint.
