Delhi Restaurant Incident: A couple was allegedly denied entry to a restaurant in Delhi's Pitampura area for wearing Indian attire. A video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking public outrage. In the video, the couple said the restaurant manager misbehaved with them while others were allowed inside. The person recording the video claimed the restaurant had a policy against Indian attire and demanded it be shut down. Following the video’s circulation, Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra took notice of the incident. He said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had been informed. Mishra called the restaurant’s conduct “unacceptable” and said an investigation was ordered. “Officials have been directed to look into the matter and take swift action,” he said.
Soon after, Mishra said that the restaurant owners had agreed to stop imposing any restrictions on customers based on what they wear. He added that on Rakshabandhan, the restaurant would offer discounts to sisters wearing Indian attire.
The restaurant owner, Neeraj Aggarwal addressed the incident saying, “There is nothing like that, we welcome everyone, irrespective of whether they are dressed in Indian attire or Western attire...This is a new restaurant, so there is a lot of waiting here, anything between 1-1.5 hours. This was the case that day too. It was a Sunday, Friendship Day. Maybe they felt bad because they had to wait...There is nothing about dress code here...We did not deny entry to anyone...We just have one requirement, visit by making a reservation so that there is no inconvenience to anyone. The restaurant has been running at full capacity for 15 days now. What can I do? People are visiting here, we offer good food and quality service. We have experienced staff here. Everything is very good.”
Many social media users demanded stronger action. Some called for the restaurant’s license to be cancelled and even suggested shutting down its branches if it has any.