Restaurant in India's Delhi denies entry to women wearing hijab

A group of four women was refused entry into a restaurant in South Delhi for wearing Islamic headscarf, or hijab, Indian media reported on Wednesday.

According to local media, the shocking incident took place at Marbia Cafe located in New Friends Colony near Jamia Millia Islamia University on Sunday when four women reached the restaurant for lunch during an office break.

The women said that when they arrived at the reception to book a table, the female employee told them to take off their burqas in the restaurant.

One of the victims women said upon their refusal to remove their hijab, they were denied entry into the restaurant.

"We were told that it was the restaurant's policy not to allow any religious symbols to be displayed in the eatery," she said. 

“We were shocked and left the venue without arguing with her,” she added.

The affected women described the policy of the restaurant as a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion. 

This is not the first time that women were marginalised in Modi-led India.

Earlier in 2022, a video of a girl being heckled by over 100 male students wearing saffron scarves went viral on social media.

The video caused a stir among people in which a girl named Muskan, wearing hijab, could be seen getting accosted by a “saffron-scarf clad mob” chanting "Jai Shri Ram” (victory to lord Rama) when she entered her college.

In response, the girl chanted “Allah Hu Akbar” (Allah is great) and turned her back towards the mob.