'No Muslim Delivery Person' Demands Swiggy User, Receives Massive Social Media Backlash

Food delivery platforms have often been put in a pickle with the weird and unusual demands users have posed while delivering food for them. Among those many incidents, a recent post on Twitter about one such request made by a Swiggy user has gone viral for its bigoted undertones.

While the company has not released a statement yet, a lot of netizens have been divided over their opinions on the incident. Few have been demanding a statement from Swiggy and asked the platform to block the user, while others are advocating for the user and saying that "people can have their preferences".

Unity In Diversity But Not Within Food Delivery

A customer from Hyderabad posed an unusual request on the delivery platform Swiggy that read, "Don't want a Muslim delivery person". The screenshot shared by Shaik Salauddin, head of an organisation of workers employed in the gig economy, highlighted the issue on August 30 and urged the platform to take a stand against it. As per his post, he stood in support of the delivery workers on the platforms and said, "We are here to deliver food to one and all, be it Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh".

Dear @Swiggy please take a stand against such a bigoted request. We (Delivery workers) are here to deliver food to one and all, be it Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh @Swiggy @TGPWU Mazhab Nahi Sikhata Aapas Mein Bair Rakhna #SareJahanSeAchhaHindustanHamara#JaiHind #JaiTelangana pic.twitter.com/XLmz9scJpH

— Shaik Salauddin (@ShaikTgfwda) August 30, 2022

As per a report by DNA India, Karnataka's Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Karti Chidambaram retweeted it and asked the delivery platform, "What action will such companies take to safeguard the rights of gig workers?". Expressing his disapproval of the bigotry that was being spewed in the name of religion, he urged the company to look into the matter.

Platform companies cannot sit back and watch as gig workers face such blatant bigotry in the name of religion. What action will such companies take to safeguard the rights of gig workers? @Swiggy @TGPWU @Connect_IFAT

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) August 31, 2022

Swiggy has not yet responded to the controversy.

The post also triggered outrage on social media and saw two extreme reactions from netizens which either demanded blacklisting the user or encouraged the user's bigoted requests.

This man must be black listed - no one should deliver here

— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) August 31, 2022

Hope swiggy blocks this user

— aakkash (@aakkashpaalkar) August 30, 2022

Isn't it matter of personal preference?

If it would have been kept upon wish of politicians, they would have compelled Hindus even to accommodate people of such privileged community in their houses!

Dear sickulars let Hindus breath...#Swiggy #KartiChidambaram #FreedomOfChoice pic.twitter.com/C7WaXJoCUY

— Pratik (@GujjuSoul) August 31, 2022

His Food, His Choice🤘#Bhagyanagar #Telangana #Swiggy pic.twitter.com/qIcwYjjIFw

— Amit Kumar (@TheGoswamiAmit) August 31, 2022

Not An Isolated Incident

Such incidents have happened time and again, where gig workers were faced with discrimination or abuse over their caste and religious status. Earlier in 2019, a user had cancelled his order as the delivery person assigned by Zomato was from a different religion. Reacting to the incident, Zomato stated that "Food doesn't have a religion.

It is a religion," and earned praise for their stance against such divisive emotions. The company's founder also responded that they are not sorry to lose out on business that comes in the way of their values. Elaborating on the same via a tweet, he said, "We are proud of the idea of India - and the diversity of our esteemed customers and partners."

Much after this, in the year 2022, a customer threw across casteist slurs and refused to receive food from the delivery agent after having found that he belonged to the Scheduled Caste. A case was filed on the same grounds after the agent was thrashed and abused by the customer.

Many such cases have been coming to light in recent times and bringing about debates on the responsibility shared by businesses and users.

Also Read: Outrageous! Food Delivery Agent Thrashed, Spat On By Lucknow Man For Being 'Untouchable'