Samay Raina's Gujarat Stand-Up shows canceled amid ongoing controversy

In the midst of a widespread outcry over controversial comments made by panelists on the YouTube reality program "India's Got Latent," comedian Samay Raina has apparently decided to cancel his scheduled stand-up concerts in Gujarat.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) declared on Feb 12 that tickets for his April events were no longer accessible on BookMyShow.

The controversy started when Samay Raina's show featured remarks about parents and sex from social media celebrity Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as “BeerBiceps.”

On Feb 10, the video went viral, causing an enormous outrage and numerous police complaints in Guwahati and Mumbai.

Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput said that Samay Raina was scheduled to play in Ahmedabad on April 19 and 20, Vadodara on April 18, and Surat on April 17.

“It appears all these four shows have been cancelled due to public outrage against him in Gujarat. Though tickets for these shows were available till morning (of Wednesday) on BookMyShow, it seems they have now been taken down from the portal,” said Rajput.

According to VHP regional secretary Ashvin Patel, the latest issue has led the organizers to decide to cancel these shows.

"In view of the anger among people, it appears organizers have cancelled Samay Raina's upcoming shows in Gujarat. We are thankful to the people of Gujarat for showing such alertness. I also ask organizers to refrain from organizing events of such people in Gujarat," said Patel.

Raina has been called in by the Maharashtra cyber cell for the second time this week in response to a dispute over a statement made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia on the former's show.

Allahbadia will appear before the Mumbai Police in a day or two. Earlier, the police recorded the statements of seven people, including social media influencer Apoorva Makhija.

Over 40 people were called by the Maharashtra Cyber Department to take part in the investigation. Among the 40 were contestants and judges from earlier seasons of the show.

Allahbadia may be called by a parliamentary panel to discuss the matter.

Despite Allahbadia's previous apology for his "lapse in judgment," the problem has persisted.

On Feb 12, however, Raina announced that he has taken every episode of India's Got Talent down from his YouTube page.

Raina said that he will completely comply with all 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 posted on X.

Following directives from the central government, YouTube took down the controversial episode of the show on Feb 11.

In the midst of the growing issue, YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani canceled his Valentine's Day screening of “Captain America: Brave New World.”