It's time to put an end to the unwarranted witch hunt against Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia

MUMBAI: The digital landscape has exploded into an uproar, leaving millions of young Indians questioning whether playful, raunchy entertainment now carries the risk of persecution. At the heart of this storm stands Samay Raina, whose wildly popular show India’s Got Latent has been abruptly shut down.

Just last week, Raina embodied the new-age digital success story. His show wasn’t just about entertainment—it was a revolution in talent discovery, offering unknown artists a stage while rivaling mainstream television in production quality. It created moments of pure magic—from visually impaired comedians finding their audience to small-town contestants winning life-changing opportunities.

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Then came that episode. When Ranveer Allahbadia (Beer Biceps) posed a controversial question borrowed from an American show, outrage spiraled into a moral firestorm. Within days, more than a dozen FIRs were filed, including one by Mumbai’s Cyber Crime unit. The backlash was swift and unforgiving, leaving both creators reeling. In an extreme move, Raina erased his entire show from the internet.

But we must ask ourselves: Does the punishment fit the crime?

Have we truly become a society so fragile that a single misstep justifies obliterating a career and erasing content that brought joy to millions?

Are we so insecure in our cultural identity that every minor transgression must be met with disproportionate outrage?

This is a culture that has endured centuries of actual invasions and emerged stronger. And yet, today, we are waging moral battles over a YouTube show—fueling hysteria while politicians and media houses exploit the chaos for their own gain.

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Both Raina and Allahbadia have apologised. They have faced public scrutiny. The show is gone. The message has been received.

It’s time to call off this digital witch hunt.

If our politicians and media truly wish to serve society, they would do better to focus on real issues affecting our people—rather than stifling the very platforms that give voice to India’s emerging talent in a misguided bid for righteousness.

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