"I Feel Disgusted": Woman In Wheelchair Refused Entry By Gurgaon Restaurant; Uproar On Twitter

A restaurant in Gurgaon is facing backlash on social media for denying entry to a woman with a disability. The woman, Srishti Pandey, narrated the incident in a series of tweets on February 12.

Srishti, in a long Twitter thread, said that she visited Raasta, a restaurant in Gurgaon¡¯s bustling CyberHub with her best friend and her family on Friday in one of her "first outings in so long." But the restaurant refused her entry as it would "disturb other customers".

"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.

The third time he asked, the staff replied with "wheelchair andar nahi jaygi" (The wheelchair can't go inside).
We thought it was an accessibility issue, but it wasn't. We told him that we'd manage, just book us a table. What he said next left all of shocked for a while. 2/n

¡ª Srishti (she/her???) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022

Twitter thread

Pandey, in her thread, alleged that at the restaurant, her friend¡¯s brother asked for a table for four people but a staff member ignored him twice. She further said that 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. She further said that they were then made to sit outside "after a lot of arguing".

After a lot of arguing, he told us to get a table outside.
Now:
1) 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? 4/n

¡ª Srishti (she/her???) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022

"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," 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.
I am heartbroken. Awfully sad. And I feel disgusted. 7/n

¡ª Srishti (she/her???) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022

Restaurant's apology

After her tweets caught the attention of others, the restaurant issued an apology. "I am personally looking into this incident. Let me start by apologising on behalf of entire team for any bad experience that you may have had. Please rest assured if any of our members is found in the wrong, appropriate action will be taken against them," Goumtesh Singh, Founder Partner at Raasta, said responding to her post.

Dear Ms. Srishti Pandey,
I am personally looking into this incident. Let me start by apologising on behalf of entire team for any bad experience that you may have had. Please rest assured if any of our members is found in the wrong, appropriate action will be taken against them.

¡ª goumtesh Singh (@goumtesh) February 12, 2022

The Gurugram Police has also responded to her tweet seeking her contact details for further action.

Post has gone viral

The post has gone viral on Twitter and has been retweeted more than a thousand times in just a few hours.

Pathetic. I'm myself, a wheelchair user. Have found the attitude of people towards wheelchair users, highly hostile and indifferent," a Twitter user said.

Pathetic. I'm myself, a wheelchair user. Have found the attitude of people towards wheelchair users, highly hostile and indifferent. Have had several visits to Tirumala Balaji temple many times. Wheelchairs are strictly forbidden inside the temple. The staff are hostile in temple

¡ª Balakrishnan K (@mylaibalki) February 13, 2022

"Don¡¯t give up hope dear Srishti. Nothing is wrong with you. It is people like the restaurant¡¯s staff who are challenged, not you. You continue going out. One challenge should not be the end of the world. I¡¯m happy you wrote about it. And I¡¯m sad it happened. Hugs to you," wrote another user.

Don¡¯t give up hope dear Srishti. Nothing is wrong with you. It is people like the restaurant¡¯s staff who are challenged, not you. You continue going out. One challenge should not be the end of the world. I¡¯m happy you wrote about it. And I¡¯m sad it happened. Hugs to you.

¡ª Vidyottama (@VidyottamaPS) February 12, 2022

Similar controversy last year

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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