A woman’s social media post seeking a vegetarian flatmate for her Bengaluru apartment has gathered a staggering 1.5 million views - but not for a good reason. X user Vanshita shared a post on the social media platform X looking for a woman who could occupy one room in a 3BHK apartment in Bengaluru. However, her list of demands for the flatmate – particularly the demand for a vegetarian woman – has sparked a controversy online.
The listing
In her X post, Vanshita explained that she was looking for a woman to occupy one room in her apartment in Wilson Garden, Bengaluru. The rent for the room is ₹17,000 per month and it comes with “a big bed, mattress, AC, geyser, storage units, wardrobe and a wall-mount desk,” she explained. She added that the flatmate would have to pay a deposit of ₹70,000.
The second floor apartment has all the basic appliances like fridge, mixer and washing machine, the Bengaluru woman said, explaining that she would move to another room in the same apartment. “I am a bit annoying and much of a clean freak,” she warned, adding that she was “excited” to meet her new flatmate.
Vanshita shared a list of demands for her potential flatmate in her now-viral X post. She said the interested candidate should be a woman, someone young, preferably Hindi-speaking, should not mind guests, alcohol or smoke, should be easy-going and okay with pets, she wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Vanshita shared a list of demands for her potential flatmate in her now-viral X post. She said the interested candidate should be a woman, someone young, preferably Hindi-speaking, should not mind guests, alcohol or smoke, should be easy-going and okay with pets, she wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong.
Outrage over “vegetarian” demand
The demands drew outrage on X, with hundreds questioning why she wanted a vegetarian woman to replace her in the apartment. Many also criticised her for insisting that the future flatmate should be okay with alcohol and smoking, stating that she was drawing the line at dietary preferences while allowing for other habits.
“How amazing the world has become to normalize alcohol consumption and smoking but not diet preferences,” wrote one X user. “Alcohol and smoking is fine but non vegetarianism is where she draws the line??” another asked.
“The several levels of problematic in this is amazing, XX Chromosome, Vegetarian, Hindi speaking,” a person noted. “Everything is fine but what is discrimination like you can smoke and drink but can't eat non-veg?” a user asked.
Vanshita responded saying she wanted a vegetarian flatmate as she could not tolerate the sight of raw meat. “It’s about comfort and peace in the house. I don’t mind any form of cooked food but I am a vegetarian and hence can’t stand the sight of raw meat,” she explained.
Another controversial demand was her preference for a Hindi-speaking flatmate in the state of Karnataka.
“I know everyone is clowning her on the nonveg part but it’s the ‘Hindi speaking’ that does it for me. She is in Bangalore and wrote this in English. You need one language to communicate. If you’re not gonna learn Kannada (you should), say ‘Hindi or English speaking,’” said X user Arsh.
(Also read: ‘Karnataka or Pakistan?’: Bengaluru woman blasts Swiggy over delivery agent not knowing Kannada)