Ableism: Woman accuses popular Gurugram pub of denying her entry because of wheelchair

Sumedha Sharma
Gurugram, February 13

A woman accused a popular pub in Gurugram of ableism after she was denied entry because of her wheelchair.

The case highlights how disability-friendly zones remain elusive in India.

The victim, Srishty Pandey, who took to Twitter to narrate her ordeal, said she was told at ‘Raasta’, a popular pub in Gurugram, that her wheelchair could “disturb” others.

“I went to my @raastagurgaon with my best friend and her fam last night,” Pandey said in a series of tweets. “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.”

When he asked for the third time, he was told that the wheelchair could not be taken inside.

“We thought it was an accessibility issue, but it wasn’t. We told him that we’d manage, just book us a table. What he said next left all of us shocked for a while.  He told us pointing towards me that ‘andar customers disturb hojaynge’ (The customers will get disturbed) and denied us entry, with so much of ease. This came from the staff of a freaking fancy place,” Pandey said.

She said after a lot of arguing, the party was told they could get a table outside.

“The outside seating was ridiculous. It was getting cold. And I can’t sit out in cold for long because my body gets spastic. It’s literally unsafe for me. Why should I be made to sit outside anyway? Segregated from everyone else? If we wanted an outside seating we would have asked for it?”

The party was eventually asked to leave, Pandey said. She also shared a video clip of the arguments with the pub.

‘Raasta’ denied the allegations saying Pandey was stopped from going to the dance floor.

“We did not deny her entry at all. She was insistent on going to the dance floor in her wheelchair. The floor has steps and was very crowded and we advised (against it) for her safety,” B Madhav, the manager of ‘Raasta’, told the Tribune.

The incident caused an uproar on Twitter.

Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt reacted to the Twitter thread saying: “Am terribly saddened that this happened to you. We suffer from an absolute lack of grace as a society. Wheelchair accessibility is one thing but refusing to see a human being who is confined to one as an equal and deserving of dignity is quite another”.

Gurugram Police said they had not received any complaints from Pandey but asked her for her contact details.

 pic.twitter.com/jp7zIuXgEd

— Srishti (she/her🏳‍🌈) (@Srishhhh_tea) February 12, 2022

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

Raasta Lounge in Cyber Hub, Gurgaon is DISGUSTING!

A close friend with a disability went to Raasta with a friend & her family last night. She was not allowed to enter the lounge. Their staff pointed at her & told her to stay outside as her wheelchair was “disturbing”.

1/4

— Raunaq Bali (@RaunaqBali) February 12, 2022

#NDTV reports, restaurant management #Raasta in Gurugram’s DLF Cyberhub, apologised for the incident and they’re looking into it.

Look into?

To redeem @raastagurgaon should:
1.Publish apology letter addressed to @Srishhhh_tea in SM.
2.Invite @Srishhhh_tea to special dinner.

— Bholanath Acharya (@bnacharya1) February 12, 2022