Virat Kohli - One8 Commune

Picture Credit: Twitter

While Virat Kohli has taken a break from the rigorous cricket calendar to have some rest, it seems that he won't get time to do so anytime soon. In the latest update, his restaurant chain 'One8 Commune’ has been accused of discrimination by an LGBTQIA+ activism group named ‘Yes, We Exist’. The restaurant, which is across Delhi, Pune and Kolkata, has its Maharashtra branch in question for its latest alleged discrimination.

"We called the Pune branch, they confirmed that entry is not allowed only for cisgender heterosexual couples or groups of cisgender woman; gay couples or a group of gay men are not allowed; trans women allowed subject to their clothing," wrote 'Yes, We Exist' in an Instagram post.

The advocacy group also tagged Virat Kohli in one of its posts, demanding changes. "@virat.kohli you are probably not aware of this, but your restaurant @one8.commune in Pune discriminates against LGBTQIA+ guests. The other branches too have a similar policy. This is unexpected and unacceptable. Hope you make necessary changes asap. @deepigoyal @zomato - either do a better job at sensitising restaurants or stop providing your platform to businesses that discriminate. Often it’s the high-end restaurants that practise such discriminatory policies; the ones that you most likely get large sums of ad money from. This needs to end," the group on the social media platform.

Restaurant rubbishes allegations

Meanwhile, the restaurant chain has denied the allegations. Amit Joshi from the Pune branch has said that the restaurant has only prohibited the "stag entry" which means that individual boys cannot enter the premises. He added that such has been done to prioritize the safety of women in the premises. “We don’t do any discrimination on the basis of gender," said Joshi.

Later, the 'One8 Commune’ too took to social media to clarify its stance. “As our name denotes, we have always been inclusive in serving all communities since our inception,” read a statement released by it. “Similar to industry-wide practice and in conformity with government rules, we obviously have a prohibition of stag entry policy (subject to relaxation) in place so as to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for our guests.”