The committee highlighted the increasing misuse of digital and social media platforms. It asked the ministry to submit a “brief note” on whether current laws are effective in handling such cases and whether the IT Act, 2000, needs to be amended “to bring such platforms under legal scrutiny.”
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee has asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to submit a report on whether existing laws are strong enough to regulate online content, especially after the Supreme Court’s strong remarks on vulgarity in the case of podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia.
The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, has written to the ministry’s secretary, S Krishnan, demanding urgent action.
The committee highlighted the increasing misuse of digital and social media platforms. It asked the ministry to submit a “brief note” on whether current laws are effective in handling such cases and whether the IT Act, 2000, needs to be amended “to bring such platforms under legal scrutiny.”
This step, the letter said, is necessary “to safeguard the societal values and protect the dignity of women and children“ while also respecting “the creative expression and freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution.”
The ministry has been asked to treat this as a “most urgent” matter and submit the report by February 25.
The committee took note of the Supreme Court’s observations, which emphasized that free speech should not cross the line into obscenity. The court stated that “free speech does not grant any right to indulge in obscenity” and that the remarks made in the show were “offensive to societal norms.”
The committee also mentioned Section 66A of the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, which was originally meant to prevent offensive or insulting messages online. The law gave authorities the power to arrest individuals for misusing free speech. However, the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A, declaring it unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, over his controversial comments on a YouTube show.
During the hearing, the apex court criticized Allahbadia, calling his statements “vulgar” and saying he had a “dirty mind” that “put society to shame.”
The bench, consisting of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, expressed deep disapproval of Allahbadia’s comments, emphasizing that such behavior should be condemned. However, despite their harsh words, the Court ultimately decided to protect him from arrest in connection with several FIRs filed against him in different parts of the country.
The Court remarked, “There has to be a height of lack of responsibility. This kind of condemnable behavior … that somebody thinks himself that ‘I can, because now I have become so and so popular and therefore I can speak any kind of words and that I can take the entire society to be granted.’”
Justice Kant further stressed the severity of Allahbadia’s actions, stating that the language used was highly inappropriate and insulting.
The Bench said, “You tell us anyone on the earth would like these kind of words to be told. You are insulting people, parents also. We don’t want to say, there is something very dirty in his mind that has been vomited by way of this program.”
They continued to criticize the offensive nature of the words, noting that Allahbadia’s choice of language would shame many people.
“The words which you have chosen, parents will feel ashamed. Daughters and sisters will feel ashamed. Your younger brothers will feel ashamed. The entire society feels ashamed. The kind of words… the perverted mind and the perversity you and your henchman have executed.”
Background
The controversy began when Allahabadia made a joke on India’s Got Latent, which led to a strong public backlash. Following this, multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against him in Mumbai and Assam.
The Assam Police named Ranveer Allahabadia and four other influencers in the FIR, accusing them of “promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion” during the show. After the complaint, a police team from Assam traveled to Mumbai to interrogate the individuals involved.
The case was officially registered with the Guwahati Crime Branch on February 10, based on a complaint from Alok Boruah, a resident of Guwahati. The complaint targeted several well-known YouTubers and influencers, including:
- Ashish Chanchlani
- Jaspreet Singh
- Apoorva Makhija
- Ranveer Allahabadia
- Samay Raina
The FIR includes charges under various laws, such as:
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023
- IT Act, 2000
- Cinematograph Act, 1952
- Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986
The controversial episode was recorded on November 14, 2024, at Khar Habitat but was aired recently. The show featured continuous use of offensive language by its panel members, including Ranveer Allahabadia, comedian Samay Raina, and YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani.
As a result of the controversy, FIRs were lodged against Allahabadia in both Maharashtra and Assam. The legal proceedings are ongoing, and the Supreme Court has set a date for hearing the petition.
