In Mumbai, can what you eat decide where you are allowed to live? That uncomfortable question is back at the centre of a heated debate after an original video by real estate agent Bhavesh Kaware went viral, in which he said only vegetarian people would be allowed to get a home in Tardeo. Kaware has since deleted the video, but its message has already sparked outrage and reopened a much older fault line in the city – over vegetarianism, dietary discrimination and whether Marathi and non-vegetarian Mumbaikars are increasingly being pushed out of neighbourhoods they have long called home.
In the video, posted on Wednesday, Kaware was seen inside a nearly-complete two BHK house in an upcoming high-rise in South Mumbai’s Tardeo locality. He also asked only “pure vegetarian clients” to contact him for the 900 square feet property, priced Rs 6.50 crore.
ही मुंबई मराठी माणसाची आहे. आगरी-कोळी बांधवांची आहे. महाराष्ट्राच्या कष्टकरी, सर्वसामान्य माणसाची आहे.
आणि मुंबईत कोणी काय खावं, काय खाऊ नये हे ठरवणारे तुम्ही कोण?माणूस मच्छी, मटण किंवा चिकन खातो म्हणून त्याला घर नाकारणं ही फक्त घर देण्याची मनमानी नाही ही उघड सामाजिक भेदभावाची… pic.twitter.com/84k06soddf
— Shubham Karpe | शुभम करपे (@ShubhamKarpe10) August 12, 2026
Kaware was seen giving a tour of the house that included a panoramic view of the sprawling South Mumbai and the sea. He mentioned the numbers on which potential clients can contact him. But more than house and its location, it’s the ‘vegetarian only’ listing that caught the eye of users online and sparked a debate.
“So after buying the flat are they monitoring the kitchen of the owners as what they are eating?” commented one user.
“Boycott and stop this project in Mumbai,” said another. “What kind of criteria is this…. A flat owners food choice is their personal affair who are you to dictate food preferences to them,” commented third user.
Shinde Sena youth leader Gurjyot Singh Keer was among those who reacted to the video. He not only criticised the listing, but also questioned the exclusionary condition.
Following the backlash, Kaware deleted the post from social media. The video had amassed nearly three lakh views and over 1,600 comments. However, it was not clear in the video if not allowing the non-vegetarian is a rule made by the housing society or it’s just a gimmick used by him to sell the property.
Nevertheless, the incident generated a lot of buzz on social media because it brought back a lot of uncomfortable memories for many residents in Mumbai. Over the years, residents and prospective homebuyers have reported being denied housing because they eat meat or fish, with similar disputes reported from parts of Ghatkopar, Mulund and Kandivali. In 2017, the controversy over housing societies in Mumbai’s Powai allegedly refusing flats to non-vegetarians also brought the issue into the spotlight. These episodes point to a larger question over whether Mumbai, where housing is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive, should allow a person’s food habits to determine where they can live.
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