The Delhi government on Sunday ordered an inquiry into allegations that a prominent restaurant in Connaught Place had allegedly denied entry to a woman who was accompanied by a number of underprivileged children.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia termed the incident an example of typical “colonial mindset” and said if the allegations against the restaurant were found to be true, its licence would be cancelled. “If allegations are found true, the Delhi government will cancel licence of the restaurant,” he said.
Mr Sisodia ordered the New Delhi district magistrate to conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit a report within 24 hours. “This is typical colonial mindset. Can’t be tolerated. Have ordered DM New Delhi to inquire & report within 24 hours,” he said in a tweet.
The Connaught Place restaurant was involved in a standoff with a writer, Sonali Shetty, who along with 25 underprivileged children staged a protest outside the eatery a day after allegedly being refused service. Ms Shetty claimed that she was denied entry as she was accompanied by eight underprivileged children on Saturday.
She had taken some underprivileged for lunch to the restaurant to celebrate her husband’s birthday on Saturday. However, they were allegedly denied service by the restaurant staff. “I had taken eight underprivileged children for lunch to Shiv Sagar restaurant but the staff there refused to serve us. I was also ridiculed and threatened to keep off the restaurant,” she said.
The New Delhi district magistrate visited the restaurant on Sunday morning and questioned its staff. The bureaucrat also asked the manager of the restaurant to submit CCTV footage of the entire incident on Saturday.
“The DM asked the waiters and other staff of the restaurant about the yesterday’s incident and noted it down,” said a restaurant staff member.
On Sunday, Ms Shetty along with 25 underprivileged children stage protest against the restaurant. The owner of the restaurant offered lunch to all the protesters, but she refused and took all the children to another eatery in the area.
She also alleged that policemen who had come to the restaurant on her complaint did not help her and instead “reprimanded” her and asked her to take the children to some other place. Ms Shetty’s husband is in the Indian Army.
However, owner of the Shiv Sagar restaurant refuted Ms Shetty’s charges and claimed that she had demanded food free of cost for all of the children with her.
Vihur Kanodia, the owner of Shiv Sagar restaurant in Connaught Place, said, “We do not discriminate against anybody. We give service to everyone. But if customer is rude and demands food for free of cost than we can’t entertain such customers. This is exactly what happened on Saturday, she was very aggressive. She wanted free food and we denied it. We serve food to everyone. We don’t want anyone to create a scene in the restaurant.”
The restaurant staff said the entire incident was recorded on CCTV. Eight children accompanied by the woman were permitted to enter, but refused service later as they were creating a ruckus inside and disturbing other customers. The right of entry to the restaurant is reserved with the restaurant management.
“It is completely untrue that we denied entry to the children, as we have it on record that we allowed them to sit inside. We also never said that we won’t provide service to the children. But then the kids were making a lot of noise, tossing things around and creating a commotion. As a restaurateur, I have the right to deny service to someone who disturbs other customers,” Roma Malhotra, an employee of the restaurant, said.
