Kunal Kamra & Arnab Controversy: Comedian banned from flying with Indigo and Air India

Posted on January 29, 2020 12:16 PM IST

Stand-up comedian allegedly harassed TV journalist Arnab Goswami on Indigo flight 6E 5317 from Mumbai to Lucknow on Tuesday. The airlines barred him from flying with the airlines for six months.

In the light of Kunal Kamra’s recent misbehaviour with TV journalist Arnab Goswami, Indigo and Air India decided to ban the stand-up comedian until further notice. Kamra, who had allegedly harassed Arnab Goswami on-board flight 6E 5317 posted a partial video of him heckling with the Editor of Republic TV.

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

In the video, Kunal Kamra is calling out senior journalist Arnab Goswami for being an ‘anti-national’, a part of ‘tukde tukde gang’. He urged him to read Rohit Vemula’s letter and ‘educate himself’. Kunal Kamra served Arnab with a fairly rude interrogative session where he asked him if he is a ‘coward or a journalist or a nationalist’. However, the journalist chose to stay silent and ignore Kamra while he continued his banter.

I did this for my hero…
I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020

Kunal Kamra seemed agitated as he talked about Rohith Vermula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad. He committed suicide on the campus on 17 January, 2016. In the 10-page suicide note written by Rohith, he wrote slight hints about how Arnab’s harassing his mother and their religion on the show had impacted his mental health. The opposition parties blamed BJP and RSS affiliate groups. On the contrary, BJP accused the opposition of exploiting the sentiments of Vemula’s mother for political benefits.

Indigo Airlines took to Twitter to announce the six-months ban imposed on Kunal Kamra owing to his unacceptable behavior on flight 6E 5317 flying from Mumbai to Lucknow. In another tweet, they mentioned that passengers should refrain from indulging in slander while on-board. Following up with the incident, Air India too announced a ban on Kunal Kamra on the grounds of unacceptable behavior. He has been barred from flying on any of Air India flights until further notice.

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

Civil Aviation Minister Harshdeep Singh also tweeted, ‘Offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers the safety of air travelers. We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned.’

In his defense, Kunal shared a 2-page-long statement explained his side of the story. He said he would be happy to apologize to all the Indigo staff and passengers except one who deserved his behaviour.

*My Statement* pic.twitter.com/cxFcSCq0Jf

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020

Kunal’s act has garnered national attention as Twitter stands divided on the matter. Kunal has gathered support from MP Shashi Tharoor who said that ‘somebody needed to give Arnab a taste of his 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

Joining Shashi Tharoor, more Netizens came out in support of comedian Kunal Kamra who is currently trending on Twitter.

Why? Is there no freedom of speech on board your aircraft? https://t.co/6coQZcZP3g

— Krishan Partap Singh (@RaisinaSeries) January 28, 2020

@kunalkamra88 thank you for showing this douchebag his place !!
#kunalkamra #Arnab #BoycottIndigo pic.twitter.com/QL8T6MRGmg

— Dr. Arshi S. Sharma (@arshi_phd) January 29, 2020

U r not alone @kunalkamra88 #kunalkamra vs #ArnabGoswami #Indigo Reminded of Past Exp on an Airline like #indigoairlines

Pehle RETWEET karo
Fir #BoycottAirIndia #BoycottIndigo

Waise #कल_भारतबंद_रहेगा pic.twitter.com/u0P2hV7xpP

— Nishant Varma – ReVolter 📛 (@varnishant) January 28, 2020

Pragya Thakur will get away with terrorism, angry entitlement and of course brazen support of Godse in Lok Sabha, country’s highest house.

BUT GOD FORBID IF KUNAL KAMRA USED ARNAB’s DECIBEL LEVEL QUESTIONING ON ARNAB – SIX MONTHS BAN ON FLYING, DESH NIKALA.

— richa singh (@richa_singh) January 28, 2020

However, Sunanda Vashisht condemned his actions as she called him ‘a cheap, petty, anarchist and a nuisance’.

In that video Arnab comes across as a professional, calm in face of grave provocation and mature enough to not cause a ruckus. The unfunny comedian however is cheap, petty, anarchist and a nuisance. This is besides heckling in an aircraft which should put him in no fly list.

— Sunanda Vashisht (@sunandavashisht) January 28, 2020

#KunalKamra is a threat to all co passengers of an aircraft. Hence request all other airlines should ban him. #ArrestKunalKamra

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) January 28, 2020

Arnab, who is famous for his speaking skills, would have never thought even in his dreams that one day his silence would land a person in No Flying List. #noflylist #kunalkamra #ArnabGoswami

— Priyanka (Astrology Guidance) (@AstroAmigo) January 28, 2020

Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.

Good job Arnab, by not reacting to the pig. #kunalkamra

— arunav (@arunavrath) January 29, 2020

When Frustrated Kunal Kamra doesn't have anyone to take out his anger on… #kunalkamra pic.twitter.com/pmPcdcnNjJ

— Shana Launda (@shanalaunda) January 29, 2020

The way Arnab handle all this shit of Kunal kamra in Indigo is shows the difference between the mentality of a 'True Nationalist'and the member of 'Tukde Tukde gang'.

Thankyou🙏🏼 ARNAB for don't give a shit to this shitty person with same Ideology.#ArnabGoswami #kunalkamra pic.twitter.com/k37s46KNjN

— Saurabh Singh (@100rabhsingh781) January 28, 2020