‘Coward is using influence to silence a critic’: Rahul Gandhi extends support to Kunal Kamra, slams airlines’ ban on comedian

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday extended support of comedian Kunal Kamra, who has been banned by four airlines for “heckling” journalist Arnab Goswami aboard a flight, saying those who use their cameras as “tools of propaganda” should show some spine when the camera is turned on them. His reaction came after SpiceJet and GoAir banned Kamra from flying with them, a day after IndiGo and Air India suspended him. “The ban imposed on Kunal Kamra by 4 airlines is the act of a coward leveraging his influence with the Govt to silence a critic,” Rahul said on Twitter.

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 24x7 tools of propaganda, should show some spine when the camera is turned on them. https://t.co/NNwVcq4ZOj

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 29, 2020

“Those who use their ’news’ cameras as 24x7 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?”