Comedian Samay Raina on Wednesday said he has removed all episodes of "India's Got Latent" from his YouTube channel, days after the show landed in a controversy over a remark by influencer Ranveer Allahbadia.
In his first response since the controversy erupted earlier this week, Raina said he will fully cooperate with all the investigating agencies in their probe.
"Everything that is happening has been too much for me to handle. I have removed all 'India's Got Latent' videos from my channel. My only objective was to make people laugh and have a good time. I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly. Thank you," Raina, 27, posted on X.
On Tuesday, the controversial episode of the show was removed by YouTube following orders from the central government. "India's Got Latent", which started in June 2024, had aired 18 episodes till now.
Allahbadia, 31, found himself at the centre of a major controversy after his comments on parents and sex on Raina's show went viral on social media Monday, sparking widespread criticism and police complaints in Mumbai and Guwahati.
Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, has already apologised for his "lapse in judgement" but the issue has refused to die down.
On Wednesday, the Mumbai Police recorded the statements of four persons, including social media influencer Apoorva Mukhija, who also appeared on the show
According to an official from Khar police station, statements were taken from four individuals, including Allahbadia's managerbut not Allahbadia himself.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department has also registered a First Information Report under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act against the show. More than 40 people, including Allahbadia and Raina, have been summoned to join the probe.
The National Commission for Women has asked Allahbadia, Raina, Mukhija, Jaspreet Singh, and Ashish Chanchlani, as well as the show's producers Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra to appear before it on February 17 in New Delhi.
The issue was also raised in Parliament by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske who called for a law to regulate social media.
Actor and stand-up comedian Vir Das shared his opinion on the controversy on his Instagram Stories.
Das criticised television media's endless coverage on Allahbadia without naming the influencer.
"A good artist will take their feedback head down, mouth shut, and maybe evolve. Either way, the consequences of your comedy on your career and audience are pretty instant. That's a natural process...
"And while we debate what good comedy is, please debate what good journalism is, and the news that they SHOULD be doing, the questions they SHOULD be asking, and who they should be asking them to (sic)," Das said.
Raina rose to prominence after winning the second season of "Comicstaan" in 2019. He currently has six million followers on Instagram and 7.45 million on YouTube.
The comedian got involved in the controversy just days after he appeared on Amitabh Bachchan's long-running game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" with Tanmay Bhat.
Raina is currently in the US for 'Samay Raina Unfiltered' comedy tour. He recently performed in San Jose and has gigs lined up in Washington DC, New Jersey, New York, and Canadian cities including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
There have also been media reports that Raina's stand-up shows in Ahmedabad and Surat have been canceled.
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