Karan Jani, a renowned Indian astrophysicist who is now settled in the US has alleged on social media that he and his friends were denied entry to a Garba venue in Atlanta, Georgia because the organisers felt that his surname didn’t sound “Hindu” enough. Reportedly, the temple officials told Jani and his friends that he does not look Hindu and that his last name does not sound Hindu.

Year 2018 & Shakti Mandir in Atlanta, USA denied me and my friends entry from playing garba because:

“You don’t look Hindu and last name in your IDs don’t sound Hindu”

-THREAD- pic.twitter.com/lLVq4KhJtw

— Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018

Indian astrophysicist denied entry at Garba event

In a series of tweets, the 29-year-old from Vadodara narrated his ordeal. He said that his Konkani friend who came to play Garba for the first time was denied entry as well. The authorities said, “We don’t come to your events, you are not allowed to ours.” When she tried to explain that she is a Kannada-Marathi, one of the organisers reportedly told her, “What is Kannada? You are Ismaili.”

My Konkani friend who came to Garba for 1st time *due to enthusiasm of us Gujaratis* was pulled out of line & was told:

“We don’t come to your events, you are not allowed to ours”

She: “My last name is Murdeshwar. I’m Kannada-Marathi!”

Him: “What is Kannada? You are Ismaili”

— Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018

He claimed that even though the bunch spoke in Gujarati to the organisers, the organisers told them that they were “Vohra, Sindhis.” In a video which was uploaded by Jani, others can be seen gaining access into the venue. Expressing his displeasure, he wrote, “They actually kept stating other religions!!” The organisers at Sri Shaki Mandir reportedly ganged up against the group and asked them to leave. Moreover, Jani tweeted that he has been going to the Garba event six years now and has never faced anything like this during 12 years that he has been living in the USA.

Jani told The Times Of India that he had received a call from the temple’s management later and that the chairman even apologised to him and said that the temple does not believe in discrimination. Jani informed that the chairman had said that there was some miscommunication on the part of the volunteers, however, the treatment that they received was anything but welcoming.

In 2016, Jani became a part of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)  team in the US which discovered the gravitational waves, a century after Albert Einstein had predicted them. After Jani’s series of tweets, many people came in support of him while condemning the organisers’ behaviour as well.

Also Read: Watch/Read: Dalit Woman Denied Entry In Temple, Forcefully Evicted