"Ethnic Is Something We Don't Allow": Delhi Bar Denies Entry To Woman For Her Outfit
Delhi, 14 March 2020 4:21 AM GMT
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By : Aditi Chattopadhyay
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According to the dress code policy of the bar which was also shared by Nag, “Dress code to be followed. Smart casuals only/ no shorts/slippers”.
A woman was recently denied entry to a bar in Delhi's Vasant Kunj area for wearing an ethnic dress.
Sangeeta K Nag posted a video of the incident and tweeted "My shocking experience with discrimination at Kylin and Ivy, Ambience Vasant Kunj this evening. Denied entry as ethnic wear is not allowed! A restaurant in India allows 'smart casuals' but not Indian wear! Whatever happened to pride in being Indian? Take a stand!"
In the video, an employee of the bar can be heard saying to her, "ethnic is something we don't allow".
@bishnoikuldeep My shocking experience with discrimination at Kylin and Ivy, Ambience Vasant Kunj this evening. Denied entry as ethnic wear is not allowed! A restaurant in India allows 'smart casuals' but not Indian wear! Whatever happened to pride in being Indian? Take a stand! pic.twitter.com/ZtJJ1Lfq38
— Sangeeta K Nag (@sangeetaknag) March 10, 2020
Twitterati expressed their outrage over the incident.
What the hell! If this Kylin & Ivy or any other restaurant still follow such colonial practices of not allowing guests wearing ethnic clothes, their licences should be immediately cancelled. Shame! @ArvindKejriwal @PMOIndia https://t.co/JdIdc4apiu
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) March 11, 2020
Wow! In India, you can't wear an Indian outfit in a restaurant..but western casuals. Crap!
— Sadhavi Khosla🇮🇳 (@sadhavi) March 11, 2020
I have dined in upscale restaurants in London/NY/Chicago- wearing ethnic Indian and no one denied an entry. Dear @PMOIndia @ArvindKejriwal @narendramodi This is unacceptable. Take action. https://t.co/JKBIiQpeDW
A lot of bars and clubs around the world don't allow people in the 'national dress' into the bar and an outlet has the right to refuse entry on its rules. However, generalizing it to Indian wear is BS. And what is he wearing? A tuxedo?
— VIN NAIR (@vinsinners) March 11, 2020
This is nothing but double standards. https://t.co/jI5OLlSih7Although the British have left India, the mindset of some Indians is still shackled by colonialism. In Japan, a Kimono can be worn for any event & is smiled upon - yet in India, you are not allowed to wear "ethnic clothes" to a posh joint but must wear the suit boot of the Sahib! https://t.co/TvNu6mXWr4
— Rev. Zenji Nio ⚔️🇯🇵🇮🇳🇨🇦 (@NioZenji) March 12, 2020
According to the dress code policy of the bar which was also shared by Nag, "Dress code to be followed. Smart casuals only/ no shorts/slippers".
The fuss is that their dress code doesn't mention ethnic wear. He only speaks of it in the video. Hidden rules? pic.twitter.com/bkCjAuFzUj
— Sangeeta K Nag (@sangeetaknag) March 11, 2020
In response to the reactions on the internet, the restaurant later put out a response on their official Facebook page on Saturday.
"The gentleman in the video is a new team member and his opinion in the video is his alone and in no way a representation of my or the teams' view on the dress code restrictions. Nowhere in our company policy does it say that we will refuse ethnic wear," the post read. The message, however, was later taken down.
Saurabh Khanijo reiterated his claim and tweeted an apology to Nag, in his response to her tweet.
Thank you for reaching out to apologise for the incident last evening @KhanijoSaurabh pic.twitter.com/NyEh3gusVz
— Sangeeta K Nag (@sangeetaknag) March 11, 2020
"He has done a mistake he is feeling pathetic about it. And has apologised," The Indian Express quoted Khanijo as saying about the member of the staff who denied Nag entry into the bar.