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Indian comedian Kunal Kamra banned from IndiGo and Air India after heckling BJP ally
- Comedian Kunal Kamra heckled TV anchor Arnab Goswami aboard an IndiGo airline flight from Mumbai to Lucknow
- Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi said the ban highlights how the government silences critics
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An Indian stand-up comedian who heckled a television anchor and ally of India’s ruling party on board an IndiGo flight has been banned from several airlines, including the country’s national carrier – prompting speculation that the government pressured the airlines to do so.
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Kunal Kamra, who is based in Mumbai and is known for his political podcasts, spotted television presenter Arnab Goswami on board an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Lucknow on January 28.
He said he tried to have a conversation and pose questions, but Goswami remained silent, keeping his earphones plugged in and wearing sunglasses. He asked whether Goswami was “a coward or a nationalist” – a phrase Goswami often uses on his television shows.
Goswami is a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and has labelled critics of the party as traitors.
Caution: video contains strong language
Kamra posted the video on Twitter and said “I did this for my hero … I did it for Rohit” – a reference to Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad.
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