‘Deeply regret the pain caused due to our show’: Samay Raina apologises for insensitive jokes on disabilities
Comedian Samay Raina apologized on his Instagram account for the pain his show caused disabled people. He also shared his apology on behalf of other comedians, including Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar and Balraj Ghai.
He wrote: “It’s my birthday today. And instead of just celebrating myself, I want to use this day – the most special day of the year for me – to apologize to people with disabilities. We, Samay Raina, Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar, Balraj Ghai, deeply regret the pain caused by our show.”
The comedian also claimed to be “spreading awareness” about the challenges faced by the disabled community.
“Going forward, we will be more careful and try our best to spread awareness about the challenges faced by the society. Your strength inspires us to grow. With respect and gratitude. Samay, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Ghai, Sonali Thakker, Nishant Tanwar,” Samay Raina concluded.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court imposed a heavy sentence on Samay Raina for allegedly making insensitive remarks about disabled people. The court directed Raina and four other comedians – Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Nishant Jagdish Tanwar and Sonali Thakkar (aka Sonali Aditya Desai) – to issue an unconditional apology on their YouTube channels and other platforms. On May 5, the panel had called on comedians to appear before it or face coercive action after comedians allegedly mocked people suffering from the rare disease SMA and other disabled people in their shows.
The petition against the influencers was filed by M/s Cure SMA India Foundation, citing insensitive jokes made by Raina, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar.
