New Delhi: The pilot, who has been sacked by low-cost carrier GoAir for making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is an Indian Air Force veteran who served for 25 years, including a stint with the VVIP Squadron.
The pilot, Unish Malik, is better known as Miki Malik, and retired from the IAF in 2010 at the rank of Group Captain.
Malik’s remarks against Prime Minister Modi Thursday created a furore on social media, and he later apologised and deleted the offensive tweet, besides locking his account. However, GoAir sacked him, saying the airline has a zero-tolerance policy on such matters and it is mandatory for its employees to comply with the company’s employment rules, regulations and policies, including social media behaviour.
Following the controversy, Malik’s earlier posts, were highlighted on social media, along with accusations of ‘Hinduphobia’.
Also read: SC show cause notice to Kunal Kamra, cartoonist Richa Taneja on contempt pleas over tweets
‘Judged well by superiors’
A source in the defence and security establishment said Malik’s service in the VVIP Squadron, officially known as the Communication Squadron under the Air Headquarters at New Delhi, meant he “was a good pilot and judged well by his superiors”.
The source said Malik was in the transport stream, and was an AN-32 pilot before moving on to the Avros. He became a Squadron Leader in 1996 and a Group Captain in 2008.
Sources said Malik had flown multiple missions in the northern and eastern sectors to drop off essential supplies to the troops posted in those regions. He is also reported to have flown then-PM Manmohan Singh into Great Nicobar after the December 2004 tsunami.
Also read: No laughing matter — all the comedians who got into trouble for trying to be funny
(This report has been updated with information about Malik’s ‘Hinduphobic’ tweets)
If our History books had mentioned about the Atrocities committed by Invaders with the same breath as Social misgivings, we would not have had such characters in our Army and pilot in GoAir.
Also our education system must include Philosophy and Psychology from secondary school. This can create better human in our Society.
He said that the PM was an Idiot. thats all, nowhere mentioned which PM, even if it was meant for India’s PM, “Idiot” is not an abuse, I have seen bhakts using language that is many times more vulger for our past Prime ministers.
And all those who are citing his religion that he is a muslim and he should not have expressed his views publicly, They believe that it is only one specific community’s right to acknowledge or criticise the govt but not the muslims, you all bhakts are the reason for which he called the PM an “Idiot”. Actually he should have said that “the PM is a fascist”. period
PM is an idiot just like popat was a ped*phi*e let’s that sink in
And moreover bhakts are not working in a Reputed company which has its own rules and regulations on code of conduct if that was case every ch*slim would have been in jail for insulting PM and abusing Hindu leaders
Should be fired….
This type of people….
If he had an opportunity to fly with PM..He might have crashed aeroplane
This guy is an aberration, not because he posted some derogatory remak against anyone. But, by doing something against the policy of company he was working in. As a uniformed person who has served so long in the Indian Armed Forces he should have known better than that. What’s wrong in sacking a person with such poor discipline. So what if he flew in VVIP squadron. This is a most dull witted plea that the company should reinstate him for this indiscipline and that the airline management took a wrong administrative decision.
When Twitter shut down Trump’s account, some leaders of the ruling and the opposition parties were quick to point out “Where’s Freedom of Speech.” The hypocrisy these days is mind boggling. BTW what did he write to offend the snowflakes ?!
You retarded or something? The article clearly says he locked his profile even if you didn’t know how Twitter works basic knowledge of the words used will let you know that he did it of his own discretion.
Such old geezer should have been let go long time ago. We need employment for young. let him join ISIS.
When you cannot say something about the head of a country without being fired from your job it is time to replace the government!
When u are saying anything and taking side of only one, then it’s time to fire that person
Even though the company he was fired from has nothing to do with the government? It’s obviously a company policy and changing the government won’t do anything. SMH
But to replace the govt. wait till 2024 Loksava election.
I criticize this website for not mentioning what he said for the PM. However, PMO should intervene and re-instate this creature back in his job. He has shown his class/ family background in his remark. The PMO should definitely intervene.
I saw the same headline on NDTV and some other news outlets ‘sacked due to Anti-Modi remark’. But no mention of other two Hinduphobic Tweets the Pilot Posted or a even a hint on the Title. Actually those tweets were derogatory and nothing about PM is derogatory, its just disrespectful. The GoAir notification says nothing about which tweet the pilot was sacked for and if you look at the full story its more reasonable to think he was sacked because of derogatory Hinduphobic tweets. In the above article the author conveniently uses a single sentence to mentions it. It shows selective news that is shown to viewers and narrative building. I respect S.G and like his analyses but Shekar Gupta also says News Media is in crisis , please look inside your own news outlet and introspect. The title is chosen to be provocative and the content is molded to fix attention on one detail and hide the other.
Unfortunately this sort of action is becoming more and more common these days.
I suppose they have to save their own skins.
The matter should have ended after below clarification.
…….the airline has a zero-tolerance policy on such matters and it is mandatory for its employees to comply with the company’s employment rules, regulations and policies, including social media behaviour…….
My organization also has same policy and I know i cannot breach my terms of engagement . My company is in for profit business and cannot get into any controversy that brings the brand value down. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance…i know better and so should he know too. My past performance and current ability has no bearing on me breaching the code. Period.
Well, what can you expect from a Muslim, no matter how educated he was, all Muslims same, Look at Ex-Vice President Ansari, Azaharudin, Amir Khan , Sharukh Khan, rana Ayub, Umar Khalid etc, and now Ex Indian Air Force pilot, that is the reason Ambedkar wrote in his book in 1942 Idea of Pakistan , (please Google the book, before preaching me)when India faces war with any Islamic countries, he sited example a war with Afghanistan and Ambedkar said he won’t trust Indian Muslims in indian Army to defend India but Ambedkar said Indian Muslims will switch side and fight for fellow Islamic Country, same thing happend when pakistan was created, kashmir King Hari sing ,Muslim soldiers swithched sides and occupied Gilgit and Baltistan for pakistan and now it is under pakistan .called POK Pakistan Occupied Kashmir!!for Muslims Religion is first and Last, secularism and Liberalism nonsense for Hindus only, Muslims have their idea and goals very clear, kill the kaffirs by any means no matter how long it will take, and turn the country in to Islamic country.
The Muslim unity shows their blind support for Superstition for which they can Kill in the name of GOD and spread hatred …..
Many Hindu haters have risen to this strategy.
Indian air force should have better background check. Such a dangerous person flying PM unheard of. Go Air took a right decision, with his attitude he can crash the plane on parliament-or …
What is the purpose of this post? Are you opposing the decision of sacking him?
He is an Indian citizen free to express his opinion.
And also, it is a fact that modi is a stupid PM.
For GoAir to fire him even after he apologized shows GoAir is not a good company
but at the end, it’s GoAir’s choice to just like it’s my choice to not avoid GoAir henceforth.
But what i find unacceptable is for ThePrint to unnecessarily ACCUSE him of being hinduphobic, without any proof? Phobia means unrealistic fear – is it unrealistic for him a muslim in a hindu dominated country, to not fear hindus after all the recent attacks on muslims: babri masjid unfair ruling, CAA & Kashmir injustices, Delhi riots, fake love jihad laws and then non stop daily verbal and physical muslim lynchings across India, not only by mobs but also media and BJP govts????
Good decision by GoAir. It doesn’t matter who you are when you don’t respect the policy of company you are working in. Also its not fair to insult our PM unless you actually are Indian. Anti-Indians does that all the time.
He is citizen of democratic Bharat first. Go Air has absolutely no right to sack an employee based on the an act protected and supported by constitution. In any case, Go Air will lose the lawsuit. Problem is, we are developing a choking environment like communism. Let’s ask a question, would Go Air remove an employee if they make pappu remark? No. We know why. Let’s keep fingers crossed and wish Modi doesn’t impose emergency. His rival Mamta is no less but both characters are dictatorial.
All employees are bound to respect their employee company rules.Freedom of speech is subject to conditions.Go air did what is best for it.
This is not US dude where you can get away after calling head of the country “An Idiot” And insulting Hindu faith, GoAir did what a private company should do sack employees for going against the companies rules and regulations.
And now you are out to make him a poor child of school headmaster like Burhan wani. You have some shame left, can’t even say that you have sold your soul
So how does that justify his derogatory remarks against the democratically elected head our nation?
It’s perfectly fine to criticize politicians including those running the government. The country has criticized its leaders before, including the last PM before 2014, Shri Manmohan Singh, without people loosing their jobs for this criticism. It’s a shame that today any adverse thought posted about the govt is considered as a crime.
The criticism of the policies of a politician is fine and encouraged in democracy but here it is being confused with the freedom of personal attack on the person. The personal attack just means that there is nothing that opposers can find wrong with his work so they are making derogatory statements. Also as per the writer of this article being an veteran qualifies him to say anything he wants without considering decorum of his being veteran.
How does a derogatory remarks against democratically elected MP (Sonia and Rahul) gets justified? Modi is just another politician. A worthy politician, definitely not a leader. Constitution allows expression.
Pappu and his Italian mother is not PM , but modi is you can criticise PM but can’t insult him.
Modi is PM and not your pappu Or his Italian mother 😂😂😂 ghulami nhi jaayegi
Pappu and his mother is not our PM 😂 they are just normal MP’s who is not members of govt
There is difference between a PM and an opposition MP 😂