Chandigarh: Rapper Badshah has found himself at the centre of another controversy after his recently released Haryanvi track Tateeree was removed from YouTube following legal action and mounting criticism in Haryana.
The song was taken down days after the Haryana Police registered a First Information Report at the cybercrime police station in Panchkula. The complaint was lodged by a local resident who alleged that the music video features objectionable lyrics and visuals that are inappropriate and offensive.
According to the FIR, the case has been registered under provisions of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 along with Section 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with obscene acts and songs.
The complainant claimed that the video shows girls dressed in school uniforms dancing in a setting referred to as “Badshala,” which was described in the complaint as a distorted version of the word “pathshala” (school). It also alleged that certain lyrics and scenes in the track could promote indecent representation and send a negative message to viewers, especially younger audiences.
The controversy has also drawn the attention of the Haryana State Commission for Women. Its chairperson, Renu Bhatia, said the commission has summoned the singer to appear before it on March 13 to clarify the intent and context behind the song’s content.
Meanwhile, Haryana Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda said the state government has taken the matter seriously. He criticised the depiction of schoolgirls in the video and described such portrayals as unacceptable.
Dhanda also noted that authorities have been asked to verify whether permission was obtained to use a state-run transport bus that appears in the video. Officials have been directed to trace the depot to which the vehicle belongs, and disciplinary action could follow if rules were violated.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and further steps will be determined based on the findings of the probe. The removal of the video from YouTube comes amid growing scrutiny and public debate over the song’s content.
