New Delhi: In yet another incident of discrimination, an Indian-origin astrophysicist, along with his friends, was not permitted to enter a Garba venue in Atlanta by the organisers. The organisers said that their surnames did not appear to be Hindu as a reason. Also Read - 'If We Can Help, Would Love to Help', Trump Reiterates Offer to Mediate Between India And China

Narrating his ordeal on micro-blogging site Twitter, Karan Jani, a 29-year-old renowned astrophysicist from Vadodara, wrote, “Year 2018 & Shakti Mandir in Atlanta, USA denied me and my friends’ entry from playing garba because: “You don’t look Hindu and the last name in your IDs don’t sound Hindu.” He even narrated his ordeal on other social media platforms. Also Read - 'Kashmiris Don't Feel They Are Indians & Would Rather Prefer to Be Ruled by China', Says Farooq Abdullah

Jani tried to convince the organisers in Gujarati but he was asked to leave the event. He had made it to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team in the US in 2016. He said that he never faced any such trouble over the years.

Jani further said that when one of his friends gave the volunteer’s ID proofs, they said that they would not be allowed as his surname ended with ‘wala’ and it didn’t seem to be a Hindu surname.

In the series of tweets, Jani claimed that one of the volunteers told his friend, “We don’t come to your events, you are not allowed to ours”.

My Konkani friend who came to Garba for 1st time *due to enthusiasm of us Gujaratis* was pulled out of line & was told: “We don’t come to your events, you are not allowed to ours” She: “My last name is Murdeshwar. I’m Kannada-Marathi!” Him: “What is Kannada? You are Ismaili” — Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018

“Our IDs had Indian Emblem. Yes, emblem with “Satyamev Jayate” right? Apparently, it didn’t have our religion. Our caste. It was embarrassing. I had tears in my eyes saying them. “I come here to play Garba for last 6 years. How could you not let us in because of the last name,” reads another tweet

Our IDs had Indian Emblem. Yes emblem with “Satyamev Jayate” right? Apparently, it didn’t have our religion. Our caste. It was embarrassing. I had tears in my eyes saying them: “I come here to play Garba for last 6 years. How could you not let us in because of last name” — Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018

Later, father of Karan Jani told to ANI, “Volunteers stopped him and told him he doesn’t look like a Hindu and even his surname doesn’t appear to be that of a Hindu. They check IDs. His ID has the national emblem on it, even then he was asked to leave. Later he talked to me over the phone and sounded nervous.”

Volunteers stopped him&told him he doesn’t look like a Hindu&even his surname doesn’t appear to be that of a Hindu. They check IDs.His ID has national emblem on it,even then he was asked to leave. Later he talked to me over phone&sounded nervous: Pankaj Jani, father of Karan Jani pic.twitter.com/KZwh8A9sye — ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2018

According to the Times of India report, Jani also received a call from the temple organisation who said that they don’t believe in discrimination.

Last year, two Indians was killed in the USA. Engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla (32) was killed in Kansas when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling “get out of my country”. Another Harnish Patel, 43, the owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of his home. Police had said in Patel’s killing his Indian ethnicity did not appear to be a factor.