Significantly, the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) has summoned stand-up comedian and YouTube star Samay Raina.
Scheduled on March 25, 2025, the summons follows claims that Raina made derogatory remarks about disabled people during his shows.
Reportedly sent on March 20, 2025, the notification, given under Section 77 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016,
Renowned for his provocative approach to comedy, Raina has come under public fire following comments he made on his YouTube show India’s Got Latent on February 20, 2025.
Allegedly mocking wheelchair users struggle with stairs throughout the broadcast, he caused an onslaught of complaints.
An official count published by the CCPD on March 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM IST shows 500 complaints received by the commission within just 48 hours of the show running.
Rising Public Backlash and Complaints
The debate about Samay Raina transcends his most recent YouTube video. The Philox’s March 15, 2025 archival investigation turned up further examples of reportedly insensitive remarks the comic made about disabled people.
One such instance involves his 2023 stand-up special Unfiltered Laughs in Delhi, where he allegedly made fun of visually challenged people negotiating traffic.
Following concerns concerning the content, Raina was warned by the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities on April 5, 2023 Still, the comic at the time did not act in corrections.
The general public has been somewhat negative of Raina’s comments. 65% of 10,000 respondents to a March 22, 2025 social media survey said his kind of comedy was disrespectful.
With activists and handicap rights groups pushing legal action, the backlash has sharpened demands for responsibility.
Legal Obstacles and Possible Outcomes
The handicap rights NGO Enable India has also sued Raina legally among the uproar. The group filed a suit on March 19, 2025 claiming that Raina’s recurrent jokes on people with disabilities violate Section 92 of the RPWD Act, 2016.
Should Raina be found guilty, she might pay fines of up to ₹5 lakh or spend two years in jail.
Section 92 of the RPWD Act specifically forbids deliberate insults or intimidation directed at people with disabilities.
Legal intervention is called for, according to activists, since Raina’s style of humor moves beyond comedy into discrimination. “Comedy should never come at the expense of marginalized communities,” an Enable India spokesman said.
“His often expressed comments show a disrespect for the dignity of disabled people.”
Samay Raina’s Defiant Reaction
Samay Raina has not showed indications of backing down in face of criticism. “Comedy’s a minefield, but I’m still digging,” he said on X (previously Twitter) in a mysterious note posted at 8:00 PM IST. With almost two million views, the post has been generally seen as a rebellious reaction to the incident.
Raina also defended his comic decisions in a March 18, 2025 podcast interview, contending that “dark comedy heals.” He said that his jokes were removed from context and that comedy shouldn’t be subject to too strict censorship.
Disability rights advocates counter that his remarks minimize the hardships experienced by people with disabilities and show a more general ignorance of the effects of biassed humor.
CCPD Gets Ready for Hearing in New Delhi
All eyes are on the CCPD’s proceedings in New Delhi as the summons date for March 25, 2025 draws near.
The ruling of the panel might establish a standard for how India handles the junction of comedy and social conscience.
While Raina’s supporters contend that the summons marks an overreach into artistic expression, they hope the case will emphasize the need of ethical limits in humor.
The events that are happening now have sparked discussions on how comedians shape public opinion once more.
Although comedy has traditionally been a weapon for subverting social mores, detractors contend that it should not be used in ways that denigrate underprivileged groups.
The forthcoming hearing is considered to be a pivotal point in deciding how Indian comedy balances free expression with responsibility as the debate gets more intense.
