New Delhi, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday criticized comedian Samay Raina over remarks concerning Kashmiri Pandits and people from Bihar during an episode of India's Got Latentwith party leaders calling the comments objectionable and unacceptable.
The controversy followed a roast exchange between Raina and comedian Sharon Verma that turned personal as the two traded jokes about their respective backgrounds.
During the episode, Raina referred to Verma's Bihari roots while Verma responded with a joke about Raina's Kashmiri identity. Raina subsequently made another remark about Verma leaving Bihar for employment in Mumbai, to which she replied that she had left her state by choice. Verma also repeated a dark-humor line referring to Raina as Kashmiri.
Raina has previously spoken publicly about his Kashmiri Pandit roots and his family's displacement from Kashmir. Verma gained wider recognition following her appearance on India's Got Latent in 2024.
BJP MLA Ram Kadam accused people who make controversial remarks of deliberately seeking publicity.
“There are certain forces in society that deliberately make controversial statements simply to gain publicity. Their sole objective is to become famous,” Kadam told IANS. He said Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu religious beliefs should not be treated as subjects of ridicule and argued that an apology after an offensive remark does not undo the publicity generated by it.
Bihar Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said derogatory remarks against any citizen were unacceptable and maintained that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste or religion.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur also condemned the remarks, referring to the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s. He described their expulsion and the alleged destruction of their properties as a dark chapter in India's history and demanded an apology.
Thakur said many members of the community continue to live away from their ancestral homeland, making references to their displacement particularly sensitive.
A member of the Kashmiri Pandit community also criticized the remarks, saying the community had endured severe hardship after being forced to leave Kashmir.
He said Kashmiri Pandits had lived in different parts of the country during the 1990s with limited resources while raising their families, and noted that many children of displaced families have since become doctors, engineers and senior corporate professionals.