WHILE IT granted interim protection from arrest in the FIRs registered against podcaster-influencer Ranveer Allahbadia for his comments on a YouTube show, the Supreme Court on Tuesday barred him from airing “any show” till further orders. It said his conduct showed “lack of responsibility” and was “condemnable”.

“There is something that is dirty in his mind that has been vomited by way of this programme… The words you have chosen, parents will feel ashamed, daughters and sisters will feel ashamed, brothers will feel ashamed, entire society will feel ashamed, the pervert mind and the perversion you and your henchmen have exhibited,” said Justice Surya Kant, presiding over a two-Judge bench that included Justice N K Singh.

Hearing another matter a little later, the bench referred to the Allahbadia case and asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati whether the government intended to do something about obscenity in social media content.