Indigo, Air India ban stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for midair offensive on Arnab Goswami
New Delhi/IBNS: Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who tried to shame TV journalist Arnab Goswami on a flight of Indigo for his brand of journalism and then posted a video of the episode on social media, has been barred from flying for a period of six months by the private airline. Air India also followed suit and suspended him from flying on the national carrier while urging other airlines to act as well.
Kamra on the video posted on Tuesday on his Twitter handle was seen attacking Goswami over his brand of “journalism” and provoked him to respond holding that he is doing this for late Dalit student Rohith Vemula's mother (Rohith had committed suicide). He asked him if he is a "coward" or a "nationalist", ridiculing the media personality for his stand and aggression against certain groups like JNU students, liberals, et al. Goswami, who helms pro-government Republic TV, reportedly called him mentally unstable during the incident and kept quiet.
He even challenged Goswami, who was on his laptop sporting dark glasses, to speak out against him identifying himself as “anti-national” and one of “tukde-tukde narrative”.
I did this for my hero...
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo
Soon after the video went viral, Indigo issued a statement saying: "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," it 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. 1/2
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 28, 2020
Soon after national carrier Air India banned him from flying for a similar period of time.
But he might be suspended for longer as Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said his ministry would advise all carriers to impose similar restrictions on Kamra.
Responding to IndiGo’s statement, which was tagged to him, Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted: “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
#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
Kunal Kamra posted along the video that he did this (heckling Arnab Goswami midair) for his hero Rohit (read Rohith Vemula, the Dalit Ph.D scholar student who had committed suicide alleging discrimination against him in University of Hyderabad).
While Arnab Goswami is known for his ballistic TV journalism and attacks on "liberals", he during the midair episode kept silent.
Meanwhile, Kamra posted on Twitter again on the Indigo suspension calling it “honestly very kind of you”.
"Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you... Modiji might be suspending Air India forever," he posted.
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
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