A police complaint has been filed against a mall owner and its security guard in Bengaluru for denying entry to an elderly farmer on Tuesday evening due to his “traditional” attire, a dhoti, the NDTV reported. The incident, wherein a 70-year-old farmer was turned away from Bengaluru's GT Mall on Magadi Main Road for wearing a traditional dhoti and white shirt has sparked outrage among the public.
A video shows a conversation with the Bengaluru mall’s security supervisor, who claims that the mall’s dress code bans entry for anyone wearing a dhoti.
The farmer, identified as Fakeerappa, was allegedly denied entry to the mall because of his traditional clothes. He had gone to the mall with the simple aim of watching a movie along with his son.
The incident has drawn criticism from several quarters, including local farmer unions and politicians. Actress and model Gauahar Khan was among those condemning the incident, as she took to Instagram recently to make her stance clear. Calling the incident “shameful”, Khan shared a video on her Instagram story on Wednesday, writing a message that said, “This is absolutely shameful. Strict action must be taken against the mall. This is India and we all must be proud of our culture.”
A group of farmers, along with a pro-Kannada organization, also protested in front of the city mall soon after the incident. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also attacked the Congress-led government in Karnataka over the incident.
After facing the public outrage, the Karnataka government announced an action against the mall, imposing a seven-day closure on it. Speaking in the assembly, Karnataka Urban Development minister Byrathi Suresh said, “According to the law, the government can shut the mall for seven days. I spoke to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officers, and the mall will be closed for seven days as an action against the incident.”
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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Home/Cities/Bengaluru News/After 7-day closure, Bengaluru mall faces police complaint for barring farmer in dhoti: Report
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