Finance expert Akshat Shrivastava on Tuesday called Ranveer Allahbadia's comment “wrong and outright stupid" but criticised the backlash, saying it was unfair for political forces to go after Allahbadia personally while larger issues remained unaddressed.
“What Ranveer Allahbadia said was ugly to the core, no doubt. But it’s sad to see political machinery going after him personally,” Shrivastava wrote on X. “We have rich kids, who are outright murderers, roaming free. Atul Subhash’s murderers are roaming free. People are dying a slow death in cities like Delhi due to pollution. There are real problems to be solved. Not what someone said and how crass it was.”
"There are real problems to be solved. Not what someone said. And, how crass it was. What he said was ugly to the core, no doubt," Shrivastava said. "And, people have the right to express their viewpoint. But this type of mob lynching is not correct."
Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, sparked controversy with a remark on Samay Raina’s YouTube show India’s Got Latent. The comment, which many found offensive, led to a police complaint. Versova Police visited Allahbadia’s residence as part of the inquiry.
Amid the growing criticism, Allahbadia posted an apology video on X, admitting his lapse in judgment. “Comedy is not my forte. Just here to say sorry,” he said. “I, personally, had a lapse in judgment. It wasn’t cool on my part.” Allahbadia said he had asked the show’s makers to remove the controversial sections and promised to improve how he uses his platform.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis weighed in on the controversy, saying, “Everyone has the freedom of speech, but our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others.” He added that action should be taken when societal norms are violated.
Writer-storyteller Neelesh Misra condemned Allahbadia’s comment, calling him one of the “perverted creators” shaping India’s creative economy. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate called the remarks “pervert” and warned against normalizing such behavior. "This isn’t creative. It’s pervert. And we can’t normalise perverse behaviour as cool. The fact that this sick comment met loud applause must worry us all."
Shiv Sena leader Raju Waghmare said using such language in the state of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was unacceptable. "We warn him. We should not misuse the right of Freedom of Speech. Shiv Sena won’t tolerate it," Waghmare told PTI.