Farmer Denied Entry to Bengaluru Metro Due to Clothing, Locals Rally for Justice

In India, individuals are often unfairly judged based on their clothing, particularly if they are economically disadvantaged. It’s akin to displaying one’s financial status through attire. This bias represents a dark reality, adding to the challenges faced by those already grappling with poverty. Here’s an example of a person being discriminated against on the basis of his clothes in Bengaluru.

At Bengaluru’s Rajajinagar metro station, a poor farmer was denied entry by security personnel because of his attire. The authorities argued that the clothes weren’t clean enough for him to travel on the metro.

Locals Rally Behind Farmer Denied Entry into Bengaluru Metro Due to Clothing, Advocating for Equal Rights
Locals Rally Behind Farmer Denied Entry into Bengaluru Metro Due to Clothing, Advocating for Equal Rights

Karthik C Airani intervened, questioning the authorities about any existing dress code for metro travelers and advocating for the farmer’s right to use public transport.

“He is a farmer and possesses the required ticket to travel through the metro. He also does not have any items in his sack that are prohibited from bringing into the metro. He only has clothes. On what basis is he being denied entry? Show me a rule which mandates a dress code for commuters of the metro. Is this transport restricted to VIPs? It’s public transport,” Airani said to the officials in Kannada, quoted by Moneycontrol.

Another commuter supported the farmer, asserting that denial of entry should only occur if the passenger carried banned belongings. He labeled the incident as “blatant discrimination.”

A post detailing the incident was shared on X by a user named Deepak, garnering widespread attention.


Numerous individuals praised Karthik for his intervention, while others criticized metro officials for discriminating against a passenger based on clothing. Here’s a glimpse of the responses: