Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 30 (ANI): Comedian Samay Raina has once again found himself in the middle of a controversy following banter with fellow comedian Sharon Verma on Season 2 of 'India's Got Latent'.
In the recent episode, Sharon Verma, a former contestant from the show's first season, joined as a panellist with Samay alongside Orry, Archana Puran Singh, and Nishant Suri.
At one point, Raina took a dig at Verma's Bihari roots and stereotypes around migration for work, to which the latter responded by joking about his Kashmiri identity and "getting stoned." She also quipped that she had "atleast left her state by choice."
While the exchange appeared as mutual comic banter, showing both enjoying the moments, clips from the episode have triggered strong reactions online.
It has also drawn the attention of political leaders, reigniting a debate over insensitive jokes.
Speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey called out Samay Raina's comedy routines.
"Samay Raina is a comedian. His comedy routines often feature a great deal of obscenity. He has been involved in numerous controversies before; he has always been a controversial figure... But Samay Raina has just made another controversial statement. His recent altercation with another comedian, Sharon Verma, reveals a profound lack of understanding on their part. These people will stoop to any level just to make money. Samay Raina understands neither Bihar nor Jammu and Kashmir properly. Although he hails from Jammu and Kashmir, he shows no loyalty to that region, and certainly none to the people of Bihar... Just stick to comedy. Why drag specific castes, states, or religions into it?...", he said.
Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari, while speaking to the media, shared, "Any derogatory remark against any citizen of our country is intolerable; those who make such comments are essentially talking about tearing the nation apart. We envision an undivided India; for us, the king and the commoner are equal, and there should be no discrimination in the country based on caste or creed. This is the clear stance of the BJP."
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam says, "Samay Raina's show is a comedy show, and I believe humour should be taken as humour. I know the remark related to Bihar wasn't good, and the way the girl connected to Bihar gave a sharp retort in the context of Kashmir, didn't sit well with me either... The atrocities committed against Kashmiri Pandits - she, in some way, commented on those atrocities, and Samay Raina, who is a Kashmiri Pandit, was clapping for it. That didn't sit well with me either... I felt like the injustice faced by Kashmiri Pandits was being mocked, but in the end, I forgive both those kids. It was humour, and it should be taken as a joke...There is no place for obscenity in society. If someone spreads obscenity in the name of humour, then certainly there should be a ban on them..."
Congress leader Harish Rawat added, "Humour is a divine art form that uplifts people, gladdens the heart, and lightens the burden of worries. However, when you misuse it to portray a caste, community, or region in a derogatory or mocking manner, it diminishes the value of humour itself. Samay Raina needs to understand this."
AAP leader Sanjay Singh explained that the comedians only mean to make people laugh as he said, "I think that if a comedian says something like this, their intention is to make people laugh. In that process, sometimes they make mistakes. But I think it is not right to turn it into an issue and target them. Instead, one should engage in dialogue with them and explain."
On the other hand, BJP MLA RS Pathania condemned the remarks.
"India has a collective flow, a collective sentiment, India has a history, India has a tradition, and India has a golden future. Mischievous acts like this have previously led to fines for Samay Raina, but by tearing apart the guidelines set by law, the Constitution, and social ethics, he has made the remark again. We condemn it..." he said.
PDP leader Syed Tajamul Islam emphasised the need to respect the Kashmiri Pandits.
"The land of Jammu & Kashmir remains incomplete without (Kashmiri Pandits)... They did not leave their homes out of mere choice. The way these personalities are sometimes treated, there is no room for such conduct in either religion or humanity... We await their return, but wherever they are, they deserve great respect," he said.
Congress leader Tariq Anwar says, "We are civilised citizens of India. People are born in different places. While speaking, one should keep in mind that no one's feelings are hurt."
BJP leader Ram Kadam says, "We all respect any artist's talent, his art, but if under the guise of art, someone's faith, belief, or sentiments are hurt, it simply means that the artist is crossing certain boundaries to cause pain to people. Now this has become a trend. For publicity stunts, people start dragging in gods and goddesses or sentiments... It all ends with an apology... Now the time has come to enact a strict law against this... Then no one will have the courage to do such things. Enacting a strict law is the need of the hour, but until such a law is made, the public should ban such people on social media so that their minds come to their senses... Whether it's Samay Raina or anyone else under the guise of art, no one's sentiments can be hurt, and if someone is doing that, they cannot be forgiven."
As political and public reactions continue to mount, Samay Raina and Sharon Verma are yet to issue a public response to the criticism surrounding the episode. (ANI)
