New Delhi, Jan. 4 -- A social entrepreneur has slammed Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal over his comments on gig workers, objecting to their portrayal as "miscreants". Anand Sankar said delivery workers are the backbone of platform-based businesses and should not be spoken about in a derogatory manner.

Sankar's comments came after delivery partners linked to several food and grocery platforms, including Zomato, went on strike on December 31. The workers demanded higher pay and improved working conditions.

Following the strike, Goyal said that "local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check", allowing Zomato and its quick-commerce arm Blinkit to complete over 75 lakh deliveries on New Year's Eve.

Sankar, who runs an...