Journalist Barkha Dutt on Tuesday hit out at an X user for what she described as a “sickening” and “hideous” attack on her family, after a post criticised the condition of the kitchen in her parental home in Delhi’s Jangpura area and made claims about her allegedly inheriting property worth Rs 70–80 crore.
The controversy erupted after an X handle commented on a feature showcasing old Delhi homes, which included the Dutt family residence built by her parents in the 1970s on a small refugee plot. The post mocked the house’s kitchen, questioned its upkeep, and suggested that wealth, education, and “class” were disconnected in the case of the journalist.
"I mean common man, that why they say - money and education are very separate from class and aesthetics. I mean someone with 30000 salary will take pride and maintain better kitchen than this . Imagine inheriting a house that would easily cost upwards of 70-80 crore and maintaining it like this !" the post read.
Responding strongly, Barkha Dutt said she usually avoids engaging with toxic social media users but chose to speak out as the remarks dragged her deceased parents into the discussion. In a detailed post, she said the original documentation was a “beautiful story” about memory, love, roots, and loss, but had been twisted into a personal attack. “This absolutely hideous handle tried to make it about why the kitchen has not been upgraded,” she wrote, calling it one of her most bizarre online experiences.
In another post, Dutt said the critics knew “nothing about the house, who lives there, or even if anyone does anymore,” adding that a single photograph had been selectively used to create a misleading narrative. “This sickening chap picked one and went on,” she said.
Her sister, Bahar Dutt, also responded, saying the house belonged to their father, who passed away during the Covid pandemic. Urging compassion, she said people should refrain from making salacious remarks without knowing the full story. “In the new year, figure a way to be kinder,” she wrote.
