"I support Mohak Mangal," says Samay Raina to ANI reporter outside SC amid disability mockery case
New Delhi: Popular stand-up comedian Samay Raina, while appearing before the Supreme Court in a case related to allegedly mocking persons with disabilities, made a brief yet pointed remark that has drawn wide attention: “I support Mohak Mangal.”
The comment came in response to a reporter from ANI who asked Raina if he wished to say anything about the case. Avoiding direct remarks about the allegations, Raina instead chose to express solidarity with YouTuber and policy educator Mohak Mangal, who recently accused ANI of extortion disguised as copyright enforcement.
Raina’s appearance at Courtroom 2 of the Supreme Court was part of ongoing proceedings against him and four other social media influencers, Vipul Goyal, Balraj Paramjeet Singh Ghai, Sonali Thakkar alias Sonali Aditya Desai, and Nishant Jagdish Tanwar, for allegedly ridiculing individuals with disabilities, including those with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and blindness. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, recorded their presence and directed them to file replies within two weeks, warning that no further extension would be granted. Sonali Thakkar was allowed to appear virtually due to a physical condition.
When pressed further by the media about the case, Raina responded, “Wahin kahenge na, aapko thode hi kahenge,” signaling that he would address the matter only in court. His lawyer then escorted him inside, urging journalists to respect the proceedings.
In a separate controversy, YouTuber Mohak Mangal had accused ANI of issuing multiple copyright strikes on his channel and then demanding ₹45–50 lakh to remove them. Mangal had said the strikes, some of which were based on seconds-long clips used for educational commentary, were followed by direct monetary demands under the guise of a licensing subscription. He had called the move “extortion” and had approached the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking redress.
Raina’s declaration of support for Mangal comes as several high-profile creators, including Dhruv Rathee, Kunal Kamra, Nitish Rajput, Mahesh Keshwala, and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, spoke out against ANI’s actions, accusing the news agency of abusing YouTube’s copyright strike system to financially strong-arm digital creators.
Earlier this year, Raina also faced police action in Maharashtra and Assam over allegedly derogatory comments in a YouTube show, India’s Got Latent, which also involved influencer Ranveer Allahbadia. On Tuesday, he appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) and submitted a written apology for remarks deemed disrespectful to women.
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Karnataka Health Dept bars leave for staff amid ASHA workers’ strike starting Aug 12
Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI): In response to a planned three-day strike by ASHA workers starting August 12, the Karnataka Health Department on Monday issued a notice prohibiting all officers and staff from taking leave during the protest period, except in cases of medical emergencies.
Accredited Social Health Activists workers are demanding the fixed honorarium of Rs 10,000 promised by the state government in January. They have announced a continuous state-level protest from August 12 to 14.
The notice stated, “Information about ASHA workers absent from duty within district limits will be collected daily from primary health centres, compiled at the district level, and submitted to the commissionerate by 3 pm during the protest.”
The Health Department also urged community health officers, primary health protection officers, health inspectors, and Anganwadi workers to cooperate in ensuring that health services to the public remain uninterrupted.
