The Supreme Court on Monday reprimanded several comedians including time Raina for insensitive jokes who made fun of the disabled people in their stand-up shows and asked them to apologize on their social media accounts as well. The apex court’s remarks came during a hearing on a petition filed by the SMA Cure Foundation, which accused Raina, Vipun Goyal, Balraj Paramjit Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar of making insensitive jokes for Divyang people. A bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi told the comedians to give the same apology before the court to give the same apology to your social media.
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The petition was listed with matters of Ranveer Allahabadia and Ashish Chanchalani, who demanded Raina to combine the FIR lodged against him at different places in connection with the ‘India’s Got Latant’ controversy. During the hearing, Justice Bagchi said that influential people are commercializing speech and the community should not be used to hurt the feelings of others. Humor is taken well and is an integral part of life. We laugh at ourselves. But when we start laughing at others and violate sensitivity … at the community level, when humor arises, it becomes a problem. And the same thing should be kept in mind the so -called influential people today. They are commercializing expression. A comprehensive community should not be used to hurt the feelings of a particular class. This is not only freedom of expression, but commercial expression.
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The lawyer of the comedians told the court that they had apologized unconditionally. Justice Kant asked, “Next time, tell us how much a fine we should impose on you.” The lawyer said that we leave it on you. This should be for the benefit of disabled groups. Justice Kant said that today it is about the disabled, next time it can be about women, senior citizens, children. Where will it end? On behalf of the Foundation, Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh said that the court has given a strict message.