Stand-Up Comedian Kunal Kamra (Photo Credit: File image)
New Delhi:
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Friday hailed Indigo pilot who in his recent comment said that he was disheartened" to learn that Kamra was banned from flying purely on the basis of social media posts and that though his behaviour was "unsavoury", it was not qualifying of a level-1 unruly passenger.
Captain Rohit Mateti ko mera salaam
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 31, 2020
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Kunal took to Twitter and wrote, “"Captain Rohit Mateti ko mera salaam (I hail Captain Rohit Mateti)," Kamra said on Twitter.
On Thursday, Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Airlines must ensure 'zero tolerance' for any activity that has the potential to jeopardize passengers' safety. His remarks came two days after Kunal Kamra allegedly heckled journalist Arnab Goswami on an IndiGo flight that led to a flying ban on the comedian by four airlines.
"I had expressed my views with regard to the unruly behaviour of a passenger on board IndiGo flight. I reiterate that airlines must ensure 'Zero Tolerance' for any activity which has the potential to jeopardize safety of passengers in an aircraft," Puri said on Twitter.
After Kamra posted an approximately two-minute-long video on Twitter on Wednesday in which he asked Goswami if he was a "coward or a journalist", IndiGo banned the comedian for a period of six months from flying in its flights.
Puri then "advised" other airlines to follow suit. Consequently, Air India, GoAir and SpiceJet banned also Kamra till "further notice". Vistara and Air Asia India are yet to take a decision in this matter.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday came out in support of comedian Kunal Kamra, who has been banned by four airlines for allegedly heckling journalist Arnab Goswami aboard a flight, saying those who use their cameras as “tools of propaganda” should show some spine when the camera is turned on them.
His reaction came after SpiceJet and GoAir banned Kamra from flying with them, a day after IndiGo and Air India suspended him. “The ban imposed on Kunal Kamra by 4 airlines is the act of a coward leveraging his influence with the Govt to silence a critic.
“Those who use their ‘news’ cameras as 24x7 tools of propaganda, should show some spine when the camera is turned on them,” Gandhi said on Twitter. Kamra allegedly heckled Goswami, the editor of Republic TV, on IndiGo’s Mumbai-Lucknow (6E5317) flight on Tuesday.
In a video clip posted by Kamra on his Twitter handle, he is seen asking Goswami if he is a “coward or a journalist”. While Goswami can be seen sitting in the plane and watching something on his laptop with his earphones plugged in, Kamra is heard telling him, “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?”
