YouTuber Samay Raina appears before NCW, issues written apology for remarks

New Delhi: YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday and submitted a written apology over remarks deemed disrespectful to women in his show "India's Got Latent".

Raina was also among the five social media influencers who appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities.

The NCW summoned Raina over objectionable content in the programme aired on an online platform. During the hearing before NCW Chairperson Vijay Rahatkar, Raina expressed regret for his comments and assured the Commission that he would avoid such statements in the future, according to a statement.

He also agreed to create content that upholds the dignity of women and spreads awareness about their rights and respect, the NCW statement added.

Rahatkar told Raina in no uncertain terms that public figures must demonstrate sensitivity and respect towards women, especially on public platforms. She urged him to play a constructive role in promoting gender equality through his work.

Raina accepted the Commission's guidance and promised to work towards producing content that honours women and contributes positively to public discourse, officials said.

His appearance before the panel follows repeated summonses issued since February. Raina and others did not attend the original hearing on February 17 citing travel and security-related constraints.

The NCW rescheduled the hearing, giving them time to return to India and appear in person. The controversy erupted after clips from "India's Got Latent went viral earlier this year, leading to outrage over remarks that were seen as trivialising rape and objectifying women.

Following this, an FIR was lodged by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell and the NCW took suo motu cognisance of the issue.

The YouTube series was taken down in February, and Raina issued a public apology, saying he regretted any unintended harm caused.

In the weeks that followed, Raina announced a temporary break and later launched an international comedy tour, a reason he cited over non-appearance in front of the commission.