Hyderabad: The city’s branch of Swedish furniture manufacturer, IKEA, has been accused of racism. On Sunday, a journalist from The Reporter’s Collective took to Twitter and discussed the racist treatment metted out to his wife.
Nithin Sethi, wrote about how his wife who hails from north-eastern state Manipur, was frisked. No other customer before Sethi’s wife was frisked and when the same was pointed out, staff at IKEA allegedly came forward to defend the move.
The accusation has garnered attention on social media with city activists calling out the establishment and tagging city officials as well as Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao.
Responding to the accusation, IKEA took to Twitter and said, “Hey, at IKEA, we believe that equality is a human right, and we condemn all forms of racism and prejudice. We regret the inconvenience caused to you while following the mandatory billing protocol.”
IKEA further remarked that, “As a process, customers who self-checkout are requested for a final check before leaving the store to ensure the billing is correct and customers do not face any problems regarding double charging, repeat scanning of products etc.”
“We remain committed to creating a better everyday life for the many people,” the thread by IKEA concluded.
Ten days ago, IKEA was asked to compensate Rs 6,000 for charging Rs 20 for a carry bag. The order was applicable to the IKEA in Rangareddy district of the state.
IKEA was ordered to pay Rs. 20 (the price of the carry bag), Rs. 1,000 as damages for emotional distress, and Rs. 5,000 to a consumer legal aid account as a symbol of spreading knowledge of the Consumer Protection Act by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Rangareddy.
