The owner of a popular Gurgaon restaurant that had on Friday night allegedly refused entry to a woman with a physical disability as it would "disturb other customers" today hung up during a live interview with NDTV when asked to explain the management's actions.
Goumtesh Singh, Founder Partner at Raasta, said that the manager who was on duty has been let go but refused to comment further. "I would just like to talk to her and would like to apologise to her," he said and abruptly ended the call when questioned about the incident.
The woman, Srishti Pandey, offended by Mr Singh's blatant refusal to apologise publicly, said that this was the "most disrespectful thing" that has ever happened to her. "Where's the apology? This was not an apology," she added. Mr Singh had asked for Ms Pandey's number during the live telecast saying he would like to speak to her "one on one" but disconnected the call when asked to address her publicly.
"This is what has been happening...we have been demanding a public apology and this is the response we have been getting," she said. "This happened again right now, live, in front of everyone," an incredulous Ms Pandey added.
She said that she has been "victim blamed" and accused of lying about the incident. "I have been getting comments that I was being abusive, but this is what all of us have witnessed right now," she said, pointing to Mr Singh's panicked reaction during the interview.
She had yesterday narrated the harrowing experience in a long Twitter thread that has since gone viral. She said that she visited the place with her best friend and her family on Friday in one of her first outings in a long time but was refused entry at the front desk.
I went to my @raastagurgaon with my best friend and her fam last night. This was one of my first outings in so long and I wanted to have fun. Bhaiya (my friend's elder brother) asked for a table for four. The staff at the desk ignored him twice. 1/n
— Srishti (she/her????????) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022"This is something I have been facing for years and this is something my disabled friends have been facing. This is a systematic thing. This is not about one staff and one restaurant. This is not the first time that this happened to me but this is the first time that I spoke about it," Ms Pandey said.
The restaurant, located in Gurugram's DLF Cyberhub, had earlier apologised for the incident and said that they were taking steps internally to "heighten sensitivity and empathy" for their staff.
@Srishhhh_teapic.twitter.com/eQZxqigPNF
— goumtesh Singh (@goumtesh) February 13, 2022However, Ms Pandey had called the apology "incomplete", pointing out that it only came after the tweet went viral and the media played it up.
AdvertisementThe Gurugram police have reached out to Ms Pandey through a Twitter message and asked for her details to look into the case.
