MUMBAI: Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on Friday said that “obscene and hateful statements” made in the name of entertainment would not be tolerated and that strict action would be taken in connection with the controversial remarks made during a live stand-up comedy show by comedian Pranit More.The statement comes after two clips from More’s show went viral on social media. In one clip, a participant allegedly recounted an incident involving objectionable behaviour towards a woman, while in another, Sejal Pawar, a medical student associated with KEM Hospital, allegedly made offensive and obscene remarks about cadavers donated for medical education.In a statement issued by the mayor’s office, Tawde said the KEM Hospital administration has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the conduct of the medical student and has been directed to take strict action if warranted.“The Maharashtra Cyber Department has already initiated legal action by registering a case, and the BMC supports the process,” the mayor said.Calling on artists and digital content creators to act responsibly, Tawde said freedom of expression is an essential part of democracy but cannot be used to justify obscenity, hate speech, or content that demeans women or undermines public sensitivities.She added that issues concerning women, consent, and the medical profession require a high degree of sensitivity, and content capable of sending a wrong message to society should not be normalised in the guise of comedy.Emphasising the growing influence of social media on young audiences, the mayor urged creators to balance creativity with ethical responsibility and appealed to citizens.Meanwhile leader of the ppposition in the BMC Kishori Pednekar, also staged a protest at KEM Hospital on Friday afternoon demanding strict criminal action against a woman doctor, the organisers of a stand-up comedy programme and its broadcaster over alleged obscene remarks about a deceased person’s body.
