On Tuesday, IndiGo banned the Indian stand up comedian, Kunal Kamra for a period of 6 months for him heckling Journalist, Arnab Goswami, who was on a flight flying to Lucknow from Mumbai. Following this Air India, too, has suspended Kamra from flying in their flights until further notice.
Republic TV’s Founder, Goswami, did not know what the flight has for him until he came across Kunal Kamra on the same flight on Tuesday. Kamra filmed the entire episode and then posted online via his Twitter handle. Kamra called Goswami a “coward” and in the video could be seen asking the journalist whether he is a “coward or a journalist”
Watch the Video:
I did this for my hero…
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo
Goswami, with earphones plugged in, did not respond to the comic’s remarks and questions, including reference to the of a student named Rohit Vemula.
Kamra can be heard saying “Viewers want to know if Arnab today is a coward or a nationalist. Arnab, this is for national interest. I am part of the tukde-tukde narrative. You should deflate me. You should take the enemy of the states down. You should make sure that the country is in safe hands of Narendra Modi”.
He continued by saying “You should fight against dynasts like Rahul Gandhi, who I support, on 10 Tughlaq Lane. Arnab, you should have a reply, Arnab. Arnab, are you a coward or are you a journalist? Are you a coward or are you a journalist or a nationalist? Who are you, Arnab? Who are you?”.
“You know, you do not deserve my politeness. This is not for you. This is for Rohith Vemula’s mother whose caste you were discussing on your show. I know this is not allowed. This is fine. It’s fine if it is not allowed. I’d go to jail for this”.
“But this is for Rohit’s mother. And go find time and read that 10-page suicide letter that Rohit wrote so that you have some emotion or some heart or you just become human. Do that. Do that you in your free time. You nationalist.
After this, IndiGo on their official twitter handle said “@MoCA_GoI @HardeepSPuri In light of the recent incident on board 6E 5317 from Mumbai to Lucknow, we wish to inform that we are suspending Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with IndiGo for a period of six months, as his conduct onboard was unacceptable behaviour. Hereby, we wish to advise our passengers to refrain from indulging in personal slander whilst onboard, as this can potentially compromise the safety of fellow passengers” in two tweets.
Hereby, we wish to advise our passengers to refrain from indulging in personal slander whilst onboard, as this can potentially compromise the safety of fellow passengers. 2/2@MoCA_GoI @HardeepSPuri
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 28, 2020
However, Kamra was in no mood to let it go and responded to IndiGo’s decision by saying “Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you…Modiji might be suspending Air India forever”.
Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you…
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
Modiji might be suspending Air India forever. https://t.co/ari4erSE5F
These posts by Kamra and IndiGo went viral as soon as it went online, #s KunalKamra, Arnab, Indigo, Kamra, and Kunal went viral on Twitter. Hardeep Singh Puri, Civil Aviation Minister has asked other airlines to take a similar approach against Kunal Kamra, he wrote “Offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers safety of air travellers. We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned”.
:Offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers safety of air travellers.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 28, 2020
We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned. https://t.co/UHKKZfdTVS
After the tweet from Civil Aviation Minister, Air India, too, tweeted saying they will suspend Kamra from flying in their flights. They wrote “In view of the incident onboard @IndiGo6E, Air India wishes to inform that conduct of Person concerned is unacceptable.With a view to discourage such behavior onboard flts, Mr Kunal Kamra is suspended from flying on any Air India flt until further notice. @HardeepSPuri “.
#FlyAI: In view of the incident onboard @IndiGo6E, Air India wishes to inform that conduct of Person concerned is unacceptable.With a view to discourage such behavior onboard flts, Mr Kunal Kamra is suspended from flying on any Air India flt until further notice. @HardeepSPuri .
— Air India (@airindiain) January 28, 2020
After IndiGo, and Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir, too, have banned Kunal Kamra from flying with them.
SpiceJet, in a tweet said, “SpiceJet has decided to suspend Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with the airline till further notice. @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @HardeepSPuri @IndiGo6E”.
SpiceJet has decided to suspend Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with the airline till further notice. @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @HardeepSPuri @IndiGo6E
— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) January 29, 2020
GoAir said “GoAir has suspended Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with the airline till further notice @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @HardeepSPuri @IndiGo6E”.
GoAir has suspended Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with the airline till further notice @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @HardeepSPuri @IndiGo6E
— GoAir (@goairlinesindia) January 29, 2020
After the bans handed by these airlines to Kunal Kamra, Member of Parliament from Congress, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, today, tweeted ” Kunal Kamra ban harsh but as per law. No matter how many grievances you share with a person, heckling someone in their private space that too on a flight is unacceptable & mob behavior which should not be encouraged”.
Kunal Kamra ban harsh but as per law. No matter how many grievances you share with a person, heckling someone in their private space that too on a flight is unacceptable & mob behavior which should not be encouraged.
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) January 29, 2020
