Thiruvananthapuram: A man in Kerala’s Kozhikode claimed that he was denied entry by a premium hotel ‘Sea Queen’ because he was wearing a ‘lungi’. The incident has since sparked a statewide debate about the recognition of ‘lungi’ as socially acceptable attire.
Narrating what happened to him, Kareem Chelembra said that he was denied entry to the premium restaurant of the hotel when he visited with his friends. At that time, the hotel management told Kareem that he could not enter the restaurant wearing a ‘lungi’.
Offended by the remark, Kareem asked the staff about whether he could take off his lungi. The staff obliged. Kareem then took off his lungi and stood at the entry point of the restaurant wearing nothing but his underwear.
The Kerala resident then demanded that hotel authorities give him their decision to deny him entry, in writing. Once he received the same, Chelembra left the hotel and went to a police station, the next day, where he lodged a complaint against the hotel management.
The hotel management told a media outlet that Kareem was drunk when he arrived at the spot and demanded entry into the restaurant. They further claimed that it is against their company policy to prohibit people who are wearing lungi from entering the property.
An official with the hotel also claimed that the establishment has two bars. Out of these, the rooftop bar is reserved for families and is usually visited by a large number of female patrons.
Officials with the hotel management also urged locals to refrain from giving the issue a communal angle. One employee said that sections of social media claiming that Kareem is being targeted because he is a Muslim and wore lungi the way Muslims wear, are inaccurate.
An investigation into the matter is under way.