IndiGo bans comic Kunal Kamra for heckling TV anchor on flight

IndiGo has barred stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from boarding its flights for six months following his run-in with a news TV anchor. In a tweet on Tuesday evening, the airline said that it is suspending Kamra from flying with IndiGo for six months, "as his conduct onboard was unacceptable behaviour".

In a following tweet, the airline stated, "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." IndiGo tagged Twitter handles of Ministry of Civil Aviation and Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in its tweets.

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

Responding to being barred from IndiGo flights, Kamra referred to the Air India sale to take a jibe at the government. "Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you... Modiji might be suspending Air India forever," Kamra tweeted.

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

Meanwhile, Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that creating such disturbances inside an aircraft endangers the safety of air travellers. "Offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers safety of air travellers," Puri tweeted. "We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned."

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

Kamra, known for targeting the government in his stand-up sets, posted a video on his social media handle where he asks several questions to a news TV anchor while on an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Lucknow.

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