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The Bhartiya Influencers Association (BIA) has strongly condemned social media influencer and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, for his remarks on the comedy reality show India’s Got Latent. The association’s general secretary, Neelkant Bakshi, termed the comments “disgustingly vulgar” and “beyond any shreds of decency.”
Taking to X, Bakshi criticized Allahbadia’s statements and accused him of “showing his true colors” under the guise of freedom of speech. “A social media influencer, @BeerBicepsGuy has shown his true colors by his disgustingly vulgar comments on a comedy show which is popular on social media. This is beyond any shreds of decency. As the general secretary of Bhartiya Influencers Association, I am disturbed and strongly condemn his comments,” Bakshi wrote.
Here is Bakshi’s post:
A social media influencer, @BeerBicepsGuy has shown his true colors by his disgustingly vulgar comments on a comedy show which is popular on Social Media, in the garb of freedom of speech.
This is beyond any shreds of decency.
As the general secretary of Bhartiya Influencers…Advertisement · Scroll to continue— Neelkant Bakshi 🇮🇳 (@neelkantbakshi) February 10, 2025
The controversy erupted after a clip from India’s Got Latent went viral, in which Allahbadia posed an offensive and inappropriate question to a contestant. The remark triggered widespread criticism from netizens, activists, and public figures, leading to demands for action against the influencer and the show’s organizers.
Following the backlash, Allahbadia issued a public apology via a one-minute video on X. “I shouldn’t have said what I said on India’s Got Latent. I’m sorry,” he stated. Acknowledging the inappropriateness of his comments, he added, “My comment wasn’t just inappropriate, it wasn’t even funny. Comedy is not my forte. I personally had a lapse in judgment. It wasn’t cool on my part.”
Financial Gain And Online Popularity
A formal complaint has been filed against Allahbadia, social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, comedian Samay Raina, and the organizers of India’s Got Latent with the Mumbai Commissioner and the Maharashtra Women’s Commission. The complainant alleged that the show contained abusive language and obscene remarks about women, purportedly for financial gain and online popularity.
Additionally, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo has written to YouTube, urging the platform to remove the video containing Allahbadia’s controversial remarks. “You are hereby directed to take urgent action to remove the concerned episode/videos from YouTube. Prior to removal, you are also required to submit details of the channel and specific videos to the concerned police authorities where the FIR has been registered for further necessary action,” the letter read.
The complaint, filed by activist Yogendra Singh Thakur, highlights the propagation of “negativity, discriminatory perspectives, religious and cultural intolerance, and disrespectful and obscene ideologies, particularly towards women and children.” The allegations claim that the video violates provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Question Of Freedom Of Speech
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also weighed in on the matter, emphasizing that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it should not infringe upon the rights of others. “Everyone has freedom of speech, but our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others. If someone violates societal norms, action should be taken against them,” he said.
Allahbadia has since requested the show’s producers to edit out the “insensitive sections” of the episode and reiterated his commitment to being more responsible with his platform. “I don’t want to take this responsibility lightly. I need to use this platform better. That has been my learning from this whole experience. I promise to get just better,” he added.
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