New Delhi, Aug 29 — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday criticised comedian Samay Raina over his alleged derogatory remarks about Kashmiri Pandits and people of Bihar, saying that certain forces deliberately make controversial statements to gain publicity and become famous.
The remarks came after a roast exchange between Samay Raina and comedian Sharon Verma took a personal turn in the latest episode of India's Got Latent, as the two comedians traded jokes about their respective backgrounds. What began as comic sparring escalated when Sharon responded after Samay made a joke about her Bihari roots, drawing strong reactions from the panel and audience.
The exchange attracted attention as both comedians have built recognisable comic identities around their backgrounds.
Sharon became widely known after her appearance on India's Got Latent in 2024, while Samay has often spoken publicly about his Kashmiri Pandit roots and his family's displacement from Kashmir.
During the episode, Samay said, "She's (Sharon Verma) so Bihari, she thinks Ebola means someone said something."
Sharon replied, "Samay is so Kashmiri, he loves getting stoned."
Samay then said, "You know, Sharon Verma is a Bihari who came to Mumbai in search of a job. Just Bihari things." Sharon responded, "At least I left my state by my choice."
Verma also responded with a dark-humour punchline of her own, saying, "Samay is so Kashmiri that he loves getting stoned."
Speaking to IANS, BJP MLA Ram Kadam said, "There are certain forces in society that deliberately make controversial statements simply to gain publicity. Their sole objective is to become famous. We need to understand that the deities of Sanatan Hinduism and Kashmiri Pandits cannot be treated as subjects of ridicule. Someone cannot deliberately do something offensive and then simply apologise afterwards. In the meantime, they get the publicity they wanted across the country for free."
Bihar Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said that making derogatory remarks against any citizen of the country was unacceptable.
"Any derogatory remark against any citizen of our country is unacceptable. Those who make such remarks are talking about breaking the country. We are people who dream of an Akhand Bharat, and for us, the king and the commoner are equal," Tiwari added.
"There should be no discrimination in the country on the basis of caste or religion. This is the clear stand of the Bharatiya Janata Party," he added.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur also condemned the remarks, highlighting the history of the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
"Kashmiri Pandits are a part of this country, especially Jammu and Kashmir. The circumstances in which terrorists expelled them, and the way Pakistan and the ISI carried out a major conspiracy to torture Kashmiri Pandits, burn their properties and drive them away, is a dark chapter in the history of India," Thakur said.
He said that many Kashmiri Pandits continue to live away from their homeland even today, while their ancestral land in Kashmir remains a deeply emotional issue for the community.
"The way this hateful phrase was directed at Kashmiri Pandits has no place in a civilised society. The way this phrase has been used on this show is condemnable and objectionable. It is not acceptable in any way," Thakur added.
He further demanded an apology, saying, "Any section, community or religion that was forcibly driven out of Kashmir by terrorists, the ISI and Pakistan should not be subjected to derogatory words or language under any circumstances. Whoever made these remarks should apologise to the country."
A member of the Kashmiri Pandit community also expressed his disappointment, saying that the community had already suffered greatly during its displacement from Kashmir.
"Earlier, only political parties used to take advantage of Kashmiri Pandits. Now even YouTube influencers have started using the name of Kashmiri Pandits. They don't know the circumstances in which we had to leave Kashmir," he said.
"We lived in different states in the 1990s without a roof over our heads or money in our pockets. We somehow raised our children. Today, our children have become doctors, engineers and CEOs in big companies," he added.