The friend of the man, who was allegedly stopped from entering Kolkata's Quest Mall on Saturday because he was wearing a 'dhoti', has said that this is a clear case of social profiling, citing the mall authorities only let him in when he argued in English.
"My friend was wearing a dhoti, which he has been for 26 years. He was denied entry. The guards said anyone wearing dhoti or lungi won't be let in. They cited security reasons for the same. This is a clear case of social profiling. They only let him in when he argued in English," the friend, Debleena Sen, a Kolkata-based actor, told ANI.
Debleena further questioned the logic behind the rule that decide who should enter and who should not.
"I don't want an apology now. My only question is what's the logic behind the rules. What is the security concern if a person is wearing a dhoti or a lungi? This is absurd," she said.
Debleena had earlier taken to Facebook and described the whole incident as a form of "racial discrimination" by the mall authorities, citing that the man was allowed inside the mall only when he started arguing in English.
"Yet another incident. After a series of restaurants it's now a mall refusing entry to someone. A man wearing a dhoti and kurta was not allowed to enter Quest Mall in Kolkata today. Apparently wearing dhoti or lungi isn't allowed in this particular mall anymore," the Facebook post said.
The friend, Debleena Sen, a Kolkata-based actor, further said that "this form of racial profiling has induced in our society so much that it's disgusting."
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"The guards outside stopped him and confirmed with someone over the Walky-talky and then let him enter only because the man in question argued in ENGLISH," she said.
"When inside we approached the management team there and the man clearly stated that they DO NOT ALLOW people wearing dhoti and lungi to enter. Further more when the manager of the place ( some woman) came in and sat down to talk asked me strictly that I cannot video record anything even though I clearly have the right to record anything in a public space. That's when we decided it's best to leave the place to rot."
"I feel sorry for the state of our nation today and I'm sorry I WILL NOT KEEP QUIET ANYMORE AND WILL QUESTION THE AUTHORITY!!!" she concluded.
Later last month, in a similar incident, an elderly woman from Meghalaya, Tailin Lyngdoh, was allegedly asked to leave the Delhi Golf Club, as she was wearing a traditional Khasi dress and resembled a maid.
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