On Thursday 11th August, a controversial old video of Indian social media influencer Bobby Kataria smoking resurfaced the Internet, causing a stir amongst the Indian general public. The video shows the influencer clearly breaching safety regulations whilst on board a SpiceJet flight from Dubai and landed in New Delhi on the 1st of January.
Who is Bobby Kataria?
Social media Influencer Bobby Kataria has risen in popularity over the years building a huge following for himself on social platforms such as TikTok and Facebook. On these, Kataria has been know for his discussions on multiple topics such as his bodybuilding background and fitness experience whilst also sharing his views on social issues that have affected India. Though, he has often his platform positively, he has been deemed as a troublemaker after being famously arrested in 2017 for causing an uproar in Gurugram police station and for a recent video in July of himself blocking a busy Dehadrun road to drink alcohol.
Shocking footage
Therefore, the latest video in question, which was recorded in January has indeed caused a huge stir. In the viral clip, Bobby Kataria is seen lighting a cigarette and smoking it onboard a SpiceJet flight despite it being illegal to carry a lighter on board. This video was first uploaded on the influencer’s social media pages in January yet was removed abruptly from both his Instagram and his Facebook pages.
Major Outrage
Many viewers were left furious by the footage and have since publicly shared their thoughts about it Twitter with one annoyed individual tweeting “All the airlines should keep this idiot on block list.” Since this video has circulated, it has been revealed by The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security that action was taken for this and the star was faced with a flight ban for 15 days in February. It can be argued that the influencer got away with his crime rather lightly as his ban was short-lived, although, it seems that he is now at risk of facing more dire consequences for his past actions. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has recently announced that he is looking into the incident and stated that “there will be no tolerance towards such hazardous behaviour.”
It is evident that Bobby Kataria’s latest actions were potentially dangerous and have rightfully caused a huge stir in India. What actions do you think the authorities should take? Share your thoughts on this below.
