Rahul Gandhi backs Kunal Kamra, says- ‘Coward is using influence to silence a critic’

NEW DELHI: Congress’s Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the move of four airlines to ban comedian Kunal Kamra for heckling a television channel editor on an IndiGo flight on Tuesday.

“The ban imposed on #kunalkamra by 4 airlines is the act of a coward leveraging his influence with the Govt to silence a critic. Those who use their “news” cameras as 24×7 tools of propaganda, should show some spine when the camera is turned on them,” his tweet read.

Those who use their ‘news’ cameras as 24×7 tools of propaganda, should show some spine when the camera is turned on them,” he added.

Kamra allegedly heckled Goswami, the editor of Republic TV, on IndiGo’s Mumbai-Lucknow (6E5317) flight on Tuesday.

In a video clip posted by Kamra on his Twitter handle, he is seen asking Goswami if he is a “coward or a journalist”.

While Goswami can be seen sitting in the plane and watching something on his laptop with his earphones plugged in, Kamra is heard telling him, “You should fight against dynasts like Rahul Gandhi, who I support, on 10 Tughlaq Lane. Arnab, you should have a reply, Arnab. Arnab, are you a coward or are you a journalist?”

The DGCA said the “matter will be referred to an internal committee” and that committee is then to give a final decision in 30 days which will be “binding on the airline concerned”.

Defending his actions on board the IndiGo flight, Kamra maintained that he did nothing wrong or criminal. He also apologised to every passenger “except one”.