Comedian Kunal Kamra has released a video response to the bans levied against him on flying with four airlines, which came after he uploaded a viral video where he accosted TV anchor Arnab Goswami in an IndiGo flight.
Kamra's response, a video titled "My statement on Indigo, Spicejet, Air India & GoAir indefinitely banning me", does not feature the comedian actually speaking on the issue.
Instead, he compiled various clips of reporters from Arnab's channel accosting other people in flights on camera in a similar manner to Kamra, despite being rebuffed by the persons they tried to interview.
You can watch the video below:
Kamra wrote in the description: "This video explains my side of the story, created by my best half @peeinghuman. The emotions did of course get the better of me. But if I didn’t emote, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
"My statement on Indigo, Spicejet, Air India & GoAir (& probably a few more to come) indefinitely banning me from flying with their airlines after I confronted Arnab Goswami on a flight on 28th January 2020. I may have gotten a little emotional but those emotions I feel are completely justified."
The fallout from the first video, which Kamra shared on January 28, saw multiple airlines announce a ban on flying for Kamra, with IndiGo handing out a six-month ban.
In that clip, Kamra asked Goswami to respond to his queries, asking whether he was a coward or a nationalist. Goswami ignores Arnab throughout, watching a video on his phone with headphones plugged in. Kamra then calls Arnab a coward and says he did the video for Rohit Vemula—the University of Hyderabad scholar who committed suicide in 2015.
Additionally, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri issued a statement condemning Kamra's actions, saying, "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."
