Transgender individuals protest at Jantar Mantar, demand rollback of new bill

Holding placards like “We exist beyond your piece of paper” and “trans rights are human rights,” protesters called for the rollback of the bill

New Delhi: Hundreds of people gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday to protest against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, cleared by Parliament last week.

A protest against Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 at Jantar Mantar ion Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Holding placards like “We exist beyond your piece of paper” and “trans rights are human rights,” protesters called for the rollback of the bill.

The bill awaits President Droupadi Murmu’s approval to become law. Since March 13, protesters have been demonstrating against the bill, arguing that it removes the fundamental right to self-identify one’s gender, allegedly criminalises transgender support networks, and introduces a medical authority to advise district magistrates on issuing transgender identity cards.

Several protesters argued that the bill is a step backwards from the Supreme Court’s National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) 2014 judgment, which officially recognised transgender persons as a “third gender” and expanded their access to constitutional rights.

Sanjeev Kumar, a 47-year-old transgender person, stated that the daily life of transgender persons carries many challenges, and believes that this bill could put even the “right to exist under threat”.

“The apex court judgment was truly a positive step for our community — it gave us a sense of pride and empowerment and gradually improved access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. However, with this bill, our very identity and right to exist are under threat,” said Kumar.

The protest also provided an opportunity for transgender people to share personal accounts and daily challenges, which they believe the bill will worsen.“I identify myself as a transgender woman, but tomorrow if a doctor or the authorities empowered under the bill feel differently, they have the right to reject me,” said Saket-based resident Sonali Khan.

Recalling an incident from her life when she fell seriously ill, Khan said, “I had a severe fever for days, and when I went to the hospital, the doctors told me they didn’t know how to treat a trans body.”

Khan said the core issue lies in “stripping away the right to self-identify”, which undermines all other rights that follow.

The protest was also joined by transgender rights activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, who said the community would continue to fight until the bill is withdrawn.

She said that if the government truly wants to support the community, it must include them in the consultation process.

“In my 47 years of life, this is the first time that I’ve encountered something like this — where the government expects us to prove who we are. If this bill is truly meant to protect us, why wasn’t the community included in drafting it? This is not a bill being passed; it’s a bill being imposed — one that lacks representation from the trans community and undermines our constitutional and human rights,” said Tripathi.

The protesters announced plans to launch a signature campaign opposing the bill, which will be submitted to the President.