Kurta-pyjama clad Tandon asked to leave Chandigarh Golf Club

Ramkrishna Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 22

The Chandigarh Golf Club courted a row after one of its officials asked city BJP president Sanjay Tandon to leave for not adhering to the club dress code. Tandon, who was wearing a kurta-pyjama, left the place to return after putting on a jacket. He later filed a complaint to the club president.

In his complaint, Tandon asked why he was asked to leave for wearing a national dress while allowing those in western attire to stay. Tandon said he would take up the matter with the UT Administration.

In the complaint to the club president, Tandon stated, “I was invited to a lunch there and had joined the hosts. One of your staff members objected to my attire. I was wearing a navy blue kurta with collar and cuffs, paired with a white pyjama. I could not stay there because I was not wearing a jacket. And his (staff member) manner of saying was not affable. No one stopped me at the entry point and I was unaware of the dress code. Being a law-abiding nature, I decided to go out. On my way out, I asked the receptionist if adding a jacket to my attire would set things right and he nodded in the affirmative.”

“My wife checked the club website for the dress code, which allowed kurta with collar, with button-down cuffs, churidar pyjamas and sandals with straps,” he added.

Tandon added, “I wonder whether everyone whose attire does not conform to the dress code is questioned the same way.”

He said among those seated in the dining hall was a young boy wearing an oversized T-shirt and shorts. “There was a young girl wearing a low neck T-shirt with shorts. There was a gentleman with a pony tail. There was a young girl in torn/tattered jeans,” he stated in his complaint while urging the club president to look into the matter.

When contacted, BS Gill, president, Chandigarh Golf Club, said he was yet to get the complaint. He said there might be some misunderstanding, which would be looked into.