IndiGo on Tuesday barred stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for six months for allegedly heckling journalist Arnab Goswami onboard a flight from Mumbai to Lucknow. Air India also said Kamra has been suspended from flying with it until further notice.
Goswami, founder of Republic TV, was in for a rude shock when stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra accosted him on a flight on Tuesday. Kamra, who has filmed the entire incident and posted the same on social media, has called Goswami out for his journalism, calling him a ‘coward’ among other things. In a video clip posted by Kamra on Twitter, the stand-up comedian is seen asking Goswami if he is a "coward or a journalist".
Goswami, who can be seen glued to his laptop in the video with earphones plugged in, did not respond to Kamra’s questions and comments that included a reference to the death of student Rohit Vemula.
Kamra responded to IndiGo's decision by tweeting;
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri exhorted other airlines to take the cue from IndiGo and impose "similar restrictions" on Kamra.