Virat Kohli's popular restaurant chain, One8 Commune, has landed in hot waters. An advocacy group came out to accuse the restaurant chain of discriminating against LGBTQ members. The group - 'Yes, We Exist' alleged that the restaurant chains in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata were found discriminating against them.
The Instagram post
"We DM'ed [direct messaged] them 2 weeks ago, got no response. We called the Pune branch, they confirmed that entry is not allowed only for cisgender heterosexual couples or groups of cisgender woman; gay couples or a group of gay men are not allowed; trans women allowed subject to their clothing," 'Yes, We Exist' said in an Instagram post.
Talking about the Kolkata branch, they said, "stags are allowed but their Zomato booking page says otherwise." It further says, "Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ guests is common at such fancy restaurants, bars and clubs in India, and Virat Kohli is no exception." Now, reacting to the outrage and claims, Virat Kohli's restaurant offered their official statement.
One8 Commune statement
"As our name denotes, we have always been inclusive in serving all communities since our inception. Similar to industry-wide practice and in conformity with government rules, we obviously have a prohibition of stag entry policy (subject to relaxation) in place so as to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for our guests. That does not in any way mean that our company policy in any way provides any discriminatory entry rules for/against any particular community," it said.
Social media furious
Amid all this, social media has gone furious over the whole chaos. "Captain @imVkohli has a chain of Resturants and guess what the LGBTQIA+ people are not welcomed. Queerphobic," wrote one user. "Being a homosexual individual hearing this kind of news is so normal that it's saddening. People say LGBT rights are not do and die situation but don't you see day by day discrimination for basic needs. I hope @imVkohli @AnushkaSharma @zomato can do something about this," wrote another.
