Recently, stand-up comic Kunal Kamra was flying from Mumbai to Lucknow on an IndiGo flight. In the flight, he came across Television Journalist Arnab Goswami and soon a video of him “heckling” and “slandering” the journalist goes viral on social media, reports India Today.
It started with Kunal Kamra claiming he met Arnab Goswami in a flight and how he gave him a “monologue about his journalism”. He further alleged that Arnab called him “mentally unstable”.
Met Arnab Goswami on a flight & gave him a monologue about his ‘journalism’
All he did was call me mentally unstable & after sometime I had no choice but to return to my seat.
The entire flight I’ll keep pretending to use the loo just to tell him he’s piece of SHIT
F*CK Arnab
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
Next, Kunal Kamra went on to post a video in which he says he wanted to ask “coward” Arnab Goswami a few questions on his “journalism”. Kamra also mentioned the case of Rohith Vemula, a Hyderabad University student who had committed suicide back in 2016.
All this while, Arnab Goswami had plugged-in his earphones and kept avoiding Kamra.
Watch the video here:
I did this for my hero…
I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
It didn’t take long before the video went viral. The internet was divided over Kamra’s behavior towards Goswami. Later, Kamra posted his “statement” online. You can read it here:
You may see his tweet here:
*My Statement* pic.twitter.com/cxFcSCq0Jf
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
Following the incident, IndiGo took to Twitter to announce that Kunal Kamra is barred from travelling via the airlines for the next 6 months, reported News18. Have a look:
@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
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
Kunal Kamra went on to “thank” IndiGo for his “six-month suspension”.
Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you…
Modiji might be suspending Air India forever. https://t.co/ari4erSE5F— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020
Reacting to Kunal Kamra’s “offensive behavior”, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri took to Twitter to ask other airlines to “impose similar restrictions” on Kamra.
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 steps of IndiGo, Air India too took to Twitter to inform that Kamra has been banned from travelling via the airlines “until further notice”.
#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
In his latest tweet, Kunal Kamra alleged that he met Arnab Goswami again in his flight back to Mumbai and “politely” asked him if he could have an “honest discussion” with him. He claimed that Arnab with an “arrogant” hand gesture asked him to move away, and so he did.
FYI – Arnab Goswami was in my
flight again this morning while returning from lucknow… I again asked him politely if he wants to have a honest discussion he with his verbal arrogant hand jester he asked me to move away & I did that…— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 29, 2020
What do you think of the entire incident? Tell us!