Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra was suspended from flying by IndiGo and Air India on Tuesday after he allegedly accosted journalist Arnab Goswami aboard one of its flights from Mumbai to Lucknow.
IndiGo suspended Kamra from flying with it for a period of six months while, Air India banned him until further notice.
"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," the IndiGo airline said in a tweet while tagging Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
"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 added.
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
#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
Replying to IndiGo's tweet, Puri also condemned Kamra's behaviour and advised other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the stand-up comedian. He said,"offensive behaviour designed to provoke and create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable and endangers safety of air travellers".
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. https://t.co/UHKKZfdTVS
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 28, 2020
Following the minister's remarks, Vistara said it will "review and follow due process in such cases".
Speaking to PTI, a Vistara spokesperson was quoted as saying, "Vistara stands firm with its zero-tolerance policy against any behaviour or act that compromises the safety, security and dignity of its customers and staff. We will review and follow due process in such cases".
Kamra allegedly heckled Goswami, the editor of Republic TV, on IndiGo's Mumbai-Lucknow (6E5317) flight on Tuesday.
His act, however, gained support from many Twitterati, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor who, referring to Goswami, said that "it was time someone gave him a taste of his own medicine".
The truth is that it was time someone gave him a taste of his own medicine. These are the words he regularly uses to berate his innocent victims, except he does so in a hectoring, bullying manner & at higher volume & pitch than @kunalkamra88 does in this video. https://t.co/e94B8WcEtj
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 28, 2020
In a video clip posted by Kamra on Twitter, the stand-up comedian can be heard demanding a reply from Goswami, asking him if he is a "coward or a journalist or a nationalist". However, Goswami does not reply to Kamra.
I did this for my hero...
I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
While Goswami can be seen sitting in the plane and watching something on his laptop with his earphones plugged in, Kamra is heard as telling him, "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." "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?" he can be heard as saying in the video clip. "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 Rohith's mother. And go...find time and read that 10-page suicide letter that Rohith 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." Kamra can be heard as saying. Vemula was a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad. His suicide on the campus on 17 January, 2016, had sparked a wide outrage. Opposition parties had blamed his alleged harassment by groups affiliated to the BJP and the RSS for his suicide, and had launched protests against the saffron party. The BJP on its part had accused the Opposition of deceiving and exploiting the sentiments of Vemula's mother for petty political gains.
*My Statement* pic.twitter.com/cxFcSCq0Jf — Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
te 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." Kamra can be heard as saying.
Kamra also posted a statement explaining what took place on the flight on his Twitter handle and said that he had apologised to all crew members, pilots. "I apologise to all passengers except one," the statement said.
With inputs from PTI
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2tP3iPO
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