Delhi Eatery Reverses Attire Policy After Backlash

• A Delhi restaurant has posted new signs clarifying that “all types of Indian attire” are allowed following a significant public backlash.
• The controversy began after a viral video showed a couple being allegedly denied entry because the woman was wearing a kurta-salwar.
• Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra intervened, and the restaurant owners have since agreed to remove all attire-based restrictions and will offer discounts on Rakshabandhan.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 9th Aug: A Delhi-based restaurant in Pitampura has reversed its attire policy and put up new signs explicitly allowing Indian attire, following a severe backlash over reports of a couple being denied entry. The controversy began after a video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking a wider debate about cultural bias in urban establishments.

The viral clip, which was widely shared, showed a couple being allegedly turned away from the restaurant because the woman was wearing a kurta-salwar. The man in the video claimed that others in Western attire were allowed entry without issue, while they were denied access on the grounds of their “Indian” attire.

The incident quickly caught the attention of Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra, who informed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta of the matter. In a subsequent post, Mishra announced that the restaurant owners had agreed to no longer impose any attire restrictions and would welcome citizens in Indian attire. As a gesture of goodwill, they also pledged to offer special discounts to women in Indian attire on the occasion of Rakshabandhan.

Restaurant owner Neeraj Aggarwal, however, has consistently denied the allegations of discrimination. He stated that the couple was denied entry because they had not booked a table, adding that the restaurant has no specific attire policy and welcomes all customers.

Reacting to the restaurant’s new notices, social media users commented that the establishment had “finally learned their lesson.” Many praised the couple for “standing their ground” and acknowledged the power of social media in holding businesses accountable.