70-year-old farmer denied entry to Bengaluru mall over traditional attire: Report

A 70-year-old farmer was refused entry to a mall in Bengaluru because of his attire, which consisted of a dhoti and a white shirt.

A 70-year-old farmer, identified as Fakeerappa, was turned away from a Bengaluru mall on Tuesday evening because of the traditional dhoti and white shirt he was wearing. Accompanied by his son, Nagaraj, Fakeerappa had gone to the GT Mall on Magadi Main Road with the simple aim of watching a movie, The Hindu reported.

A video captures a conversation with the Bengaluru mall’s security supervisor, who insists that the mall’s dress code prohibits entry for individuals wearing dhotis.

The incident, which took place at around 6 pm, has since drawn criticism and prompted local farmer unions to call for a protest unless the mall management issues a formal apology.

READ | Elderly man denied entry to Bengaluru metro over ‘dirty clothes’, netizens angry

A video recorded by Nagaraj captures a conversation with the mall’s security supervisor, who insists that the mall’s dress code prohibits entry for individuals wearing dhotis. The supervisor suggested that Fakeerappa would be allowed entry if he wore pants instead.

In a statement to the media, Nagaraj expressed his disappointment, emphasizing his desire to share a movie experience with his father in a multiplex setting.

READ | ‘Fascist and regressive’: Mohandas Pai and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw oppose Karnataka govt's Kannadiga reservation bill

Fakeerappa, who did not get a formal education, also spoke on the matter and said, “How can people from the village let go of our dhoti and come dressed in pants to watch a film?”

“I have got all five of my children educated. They are well-placed now. But I cannot give up my culture, dressing style and start wearing pants just to go to a mall. It is sad that people feel inferior about our own dressing style and culture in our own state,” he added, as quoted by the publication.

READ | Karnataka govt to mandate inclusion of 50-75% Kannadigas in private jobs, cabinet approves the bill

This incident echoes a similar controversy from February, when a viral video showed the Bengaluru Metro security personnel allegedly refusing entry to an elderly man due to his “dirty” clothes. The man, who was balancing a bundle of clothes on his head and wearing a white shirt, was stopped at the Rajajinagar metro station, igniting a wave of social media backlash.