A woman with a physical disability has claimed that a popular restaurant in Gurgaon refused her entry as it would "disturb other customers". Srishti Pandey, in a long Twitter thread, said that she visited the place with her best friend and her family on Friday in one of her "first outings in so long." However, "wheelchair andar nahi jaygi (the wheelchair won't go inside)" was allegedly the reply she got from the staff at the restaurant's front desk.
I went to my @raastagurgaon with my best friend and her fam last night. This was one of my first outings in so long and I wanted to have fun. Bhaiya (my friend's elder brother) asked for a table for four. The staff at the desk ignored him twice. 1/n
— Srishti (she/her????????) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022
The restaurant management , Raasta, located in Gurugram's DLF Cyberhub, has apologised for the incident and said that they are taking steps internally to heighten sensitivity and empathy for their staff.
@Srishhhh_tea pic.twitter.com/eQZxqigPNF
— goumtesh Singh (@goumtesh) February 13, 2022
"We are deeply regretful of the episode that took place at raasta gurgaon on friday evening. We stand for inclusivity and would never want anyone to feel singled out for any reason. As a part of our efforts we have already reached out to the aggrieved patron to personally apologise to them. We are also taking steps internally to heighten sensitivity and empathy for our staff to ensure this never happens again," Goumtesh Singh, Founder Partner at Raasta, said in a post.
Ms Pandey, in her thread, alleged that at first she thought it was an "accessibility issue" but she was "left shocked" when the staff at the restaurant suggested that her presence could disturb other customers.
"He told us pointing towards me that 'andar customers disturb hojayenge' (the customers will get disturbed) and denied us entry, with so much of ease. This came from the staff of a freaking fancy place," she tweeted.
He told us pointing towards me that "andar customers disturb hojaynge" (The customers will get disturbed) and denied us entry, with so much of ease. This came from the staff of a freaking fancy place. 3/n
— Srishti (she/her????????) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022
She further said that they were then made to sit outside "after a lot of arguing". "The outside seating was ridiculous. It was getting cold. And I can't sit out in cold for long because my body gets spastic. It's literally unsafe for me," she said.
"I am heartbroken. Awfully sad. And I feel disgusted," Ms Pandey said.
Should I stop going out at all only then? Because apparently I don't belong with others. Because I'm a "disturbance" for others. Because their moods apparently get "ruined" after looking at me.
— Srishti (she/her????????) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022
I am heartbroken. Awfully sad. And I feel disgusted. 7/n
The Gurugram Police has also responded to her tweet seeking her contact details for further action.
The post has gone viral on Twitter and has been retweeted more than a thousand times in just a few hours.
"Appalled to read about this - hopefully this is a one off and not a typical experience in India. Thank you for highlighting @Srishhhh_tea. @raastagurgaon you need to work on accessibility, train your teams and act on this feedback," read a comment on Ms Pandey's tweet.
Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has also reacted to the tweet, saying she was "terribly saddened" by the incident.
Am terribly saddened that this happened to you. We suffer from an absolute lack of grace as a society. Wheelchair accessibility is one thing but refusing to see a human being who is confined to one as an equal and deserving of dignity is quite another. ????
— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) February 12, 2022
Last year, a similar controversy had erupted after a high-end restaurant in Delhi was accused of turning away a woman because she was wearing a saree in violation of their dress code. The restaurant, however, later clarified that the woman was denied entry because she had assaulted a server and the incident was caught on video.
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