‘I Was Thrown Out’: Shashi Tharoor Revives Debate Over Breach Candy Club’s Europeans-Only Policy

The controversy surrounding Mumbai's elite Breach Candy Club has reignited debate over colonial-era discrimination after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor recalled being thrown out of the club decades ago because he was Indian. The issue resurfaced amid growing outrage over the club's constitution, which still reportedly restricts Trust Committee membership to European passport holders living in Mumbai.

Tharoor's old remarks about his personal experience at the club began circulating widely online after criticism mounted against what many have described as a racist and outdated provision embedded in the institution's rules.

Shashi Tharoor Recalls Being Expelled From Club

In a blog post that has now gone viral again, Tharoor recounted an incident from the 1960s when he attempted to enter the prestigious club with an American classmate.

"I myself was thrown out of Breach Candy Club in Bombay in the mid '60s when an American classmate hoped he could ignore the whites and take an Indian friend along. That was India 20 years after Independence," wrote Tharoor.

The account has drawn strong reactions online, with many users expressing shock that such discriminatory practices continued even years after India gained independence from British rule.

Colonial Legacy Of Breach Candy Club Under Scrutiny

Established in 1878 during British colonial rule, the Breach Candy Club was originally designed as an exclusive European-only social enclave in Bombay. Indians were reportedly denied membership for decades before the club eventually opened its doors to Indian members in the 1960s.

However, despite allowing Indian membership, governance structures allegedly remained unequal. According to reports, the club's constitution still bars Indians from serving on the Trust Committee, reserving those positions exclusively for European residents in Mumbai.

The revelation has triggered widespread criticism, especially because the club is situated on government land.

Tharoor Questions 'Racist Provision' In Modern India

Responding to the renewed controversy, Tharoor strongly criticised the continued existence of what he described as a racist clause in the club's constitution.

"There is absolutely no acceptable justification for a racist provision to survive on government land. To say the club's constitution requires it is ridiculous. What about our country's constitution?" wrote Tharoor on X (formerly Twitter).

There is absolutely no acceptable justification for a racist provision to survive on government land. To say the club’s constitution requires it is ridiculous. What about our country’s constitution? https://t.co/MtsWmH0rVI

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 27, 2026

His remarks have intensified demands for authorities to examine whether such provisions violate constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination.

Public Backlash Grows Over Europeans-Only Rule

The resurfacing of Tharoor's experience has amplified public anger against the Breach Candy Club's alleged Europeans-only leadership policy. Critics argue that institutions operating in independent India cannot continue practices rooted in colonial privilege and racial exclusion.

The controversy has also sparked a wider conversation about elite legacy institutions across the country and whether outdated constitutional clauses should continue to exist in modern India.