ADVERTISEMENT

Karma strikes again for Kunal Kamra Four airlines suspend comedian

Update: 2020-01-29 16:00 IST

Kunal Kamra was suspended by private airlines onboard a Mumbai-Lucknow IndiGo flight after he reportedly heckled journalist Arnab Goswami.

On Wednesday morning, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra again took to Twitter, claiming he met Arnab Goswami on his flight back from Lucknow and the journalist refused to speak with him.

FYI-Arnab Goswami was again on my flight this morning, coming back from Lucknow... I asked him politically again if he wanted an honest discussion he told me to move away from his verbally disrespectful hand jester and I did that, "Kamra said on Twitter.

ADVERTISEMENT



IndiGo barred Kamra after he allegedly struck Goswami on a private airline's Mumbai-Lucknow plane on Tuesday. Air India, regulated by the Union, soon followed suit and imposed a similar ban on Kamra. On Wednesday morning another private carrier, SpiceJet, also tweeted that the character had been banned from flying.

Reacting to it, Kamra tweeted on Wednesday, "I used to make calculated decisions using my mind earlier, and I'm worried about how the research I'm doing looks like... The mind is a coward and takes calculated risks and rewards steps, I am no longer a mathematician that I obey my heart now."

While IndiGo suspended Kamra from flying with it for a period of six months, Air India and SpiceJet put him on a no-fly list "until further notice". Sharing a video from the incident, Kunal tweeted, "I did this for my hero, I did this for Rohit." He also issued a statement responding to the entire controversy.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri noted the incident and "advised" airlines in India to impose restrictions on Kamra, saying that "offensive behavior designed to provoke and disrupt aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers air traveler safety."

Following the minister's remarks, Vistara said it will "review and follow due process in such cases", news agency PTI reported.

In a video clip posted by Kamra on his Twitter handle, he is seen asking Goswami if he is a "coward or a journalist".

Although Goswami can be seen sitting in the plane and watching something with his earphones plugged in on his mobile, Kamra is heard as saying, "Viewers want to know if Arnab is a coward or a nationalist today. Arnab, this is for the 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 the safe hands of Narendra Modi. You will fight on 10 Tughlaq Lane against dynasties like Rahul Gandhi, whom I support. Arnab, you should have an answer to that, Arnab. Are you a coward or a writer, Arnab? Are you a coward, or are you a militant or a nationalist? Who are you, Arnab? Who are you?" Kamra 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 a 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. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Tags:    

Similar News