Zomato controversy: Mumbai's Dabbawala Association stands by Zomato, asks 'What if customer was very hungry?'

The Mumbai Dabbawala Association, which represents the city's famed tiffin-carriers or dabbawalas, on Thursday slammed the Zomato customer from Jabalpur who refused to take delivery from a "non-Hindu".

Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of the 5,000-member ​​​​​​​dabbawala association, said the delivery executive of Zomato was doing his job to earn a livelihood.

"What would have this customer done if he had been very hungry and person of another faith had brought him food?" he asked adding "We condemn his act of canceling an order just because the delivery boy belonged to another religion. The delivery person may be Hindu or Muslim, he does he job for livelihood. Such workers do not have religion."

A case should be registered against the Zomato customer, he said. There are people of all faiths among dabbawallas of Mumbai, Talekar added.

"Our customers include Parsis in Colaba, Walkeshwar and Gaondevi, Muslims in Bhendi Bazar and Mohammed Ali Road,Catholics in Byculla and Jains in Kalbadevi and Jhaveri Bazar," he said.

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Earlier on Wednesday, Zomato India received massive praise on social media on Wednesday with its befitting reply to a customer, who cancelled his order because the delivery guy who was assigned for his food delivery was a "non-Hindu". Responding to the customer's comment that he cancelled his order because the delivery guy was a "non-Hindu", Zomato India said that food does not have a religion. It is a religion.

Following this reply, Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal stood by his company, tweeting that principle were before business.

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This had resulted in a major dispute on Twitter with multiple hashtags carrying opposing views on the issue trending. While most celebrities, politicians and businessmen stood by Zomato's stance, many staunch believers in faith felt the customer's request was justified.

(With PTI Inputs)