Manager of Mocambo Ashish Malik on Wednesday said the eatery doesn't believe in discrimination, while asserting that the driver who had come along with a woman was 'dirtily dressed'.
Kolkata's oldest fine dining restaurant Mocambo has found itself in a soup, after a woman named Dilashi Hemnani alleged that the eatery did not let her driver inside for dinner.
"She was a well to do lady of course. When she came, she asked for a table for two. The person who was there said of course we will give you table. We don't have any discrimination... we allow everybody. After some time, the person who was giving the table asked her...please call your friend and she pointed out to a guy, who was very dirtily dressed...absolutely dirty," Malik told ANI.
Malik said his person in the restaurant had got perturbed and said that they could not give the driver a table.
"She said he is my driver...from 8' o clock he is driving me. My person said we can't give you a table but we can give a packing for him. She got very furious and started shouting. She said on humanitarian grounds you are stopping a person...this is not right," he added.
Malik said the eatery doesn't stop anyone and they are not racist.
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"We allow each and every person. Many families come with their maids, some come with their drivers. They are all well-dressed. They are sitting inside and having food...we never stop anyone...till today we have not done. She has a wrong conception that she has been insulted and a person has been insulted on humanitarian grounds...that is wrong," he added.
Malik said if a person is not clean and goes inside, they have to draw a line somewhere.
"Other guests were sitting...they will see...they will obviously feel bad. So, that's the reason why we stopped him. I don't think we have done anything wrong. We have no dress code. Many people come in half-pants also...many in Bermudas, but they are well to do. When you will see them, you will understand the profile of the person...neat and clean, decent looking. If you are dirty, how can you allow a person?," he said.
The incident took place on September 9, when Hemnani walked into Mocambo along with her driver but failed to secure a seat even after waiting for some time and requesting to the staff.
Outraged at their behavior, Hemnani went on to allege that the restaurant deliberately chose to keep her away because she was accompanied by her driver who didn't meet the restaurant's standards of a well-dressed customer.
The Congress held a demonstration on Tuesday afternoon outside Mocambo asking for the manager to be arrested.