Letter to BS: Ban on Kamra in violation of rules, should be put on hold

One wonders if the airline (IndiGo) would have shown the same level of alacrity in slapping a three-month flying ban on stand-up comic Kunal Kamra (pictured) had he targeted the likes of Ravish Kumar of NDTV or Rajdeep Sardesai of India Today instead of “heckling” TV anchor Arnab Goswami. This is not to defend or condone the uncivilised behaviour of this comedian on board the flight. However, imposition of a ban for three months is in flagrant violations of the rules framed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation under which a person can be placed on a “no-fly list” by an airline only after it concludes an internal inquiry constituted in a manner prescribed. The haste shown by IndiGo and other airlines betrays their eagerness to bend over backwards to please the authorities. The Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s advice to the airlines to ban Kamra from flying amounts to poking his nose in a matter falling entirely within the domain of airline’s internal committee. The ban should be put on hold pending the recommendation of internal committee. After all, the right to travel is a basic one which can be curtailed only after observing the due process of law. 
 
S K Choudhury, Bengaluru Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to: 

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