The Karnataka government is likely to impose a seven-day closure on a mall in Bengaluru over allegations of not allowing entry to an elderly man - a farmer - because he was wearing a dhoti.
Video of the elderly man who was denied entry to watch a movie inside the mall because of his attire went viral on social media on Wednesday.
The issue escalated to a level that it was raised in the ongoing assembly session, prompting Karnataka Urban Development minister Byrathi Suresh to promise strict action against the management.
The government also termed the alleged insult to the farmer as an infringement on "dignity and self respect", and said it cannot be tolerated.
"I checked with the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) commissioner as to what can be done. The government has the powers. Action will be taken against the (GT World) mall in accordance with law immediately and we will ensure that the mall is closed for seven days," Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh told the House.
Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa said the incident is condemnable. "For every individual self respect and dignity are important, this has been violated, and the government will take action."
The incident reportedly happened on Tuesday when septuagenarian Fakeerappa from Haveri district visited the mall along with his wife and son to watch a movie at a multiplex.
Fakeerappa was reportedly wearing white shirt and 'panche' (dhoti), and the security staffer at the mall allegedly told him and his son that he won’t be allowed inside in a 'panche', and asked him to "wear trousers and come."
Assembly Speaker UT Khader also raised the issue and asked the government to take action.
"I saw in the media that a youth from the rural area, who is studying here in Bengaluru, when he took his father wearing 'panche' -- which is the traditional attire of Karnataka -- to show him the mall, he was not let in because of the attire. This is highly condemnable and strict action should be taken by the government, which becomes a lesson for all malls," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
"Merciless action should be taken, however big the mall owner or management is," the Speaker said. "We have nothing to do with them, we have to show that the super rich owning malls are not important for us, and it is the common man, poor and last person of the society who are leading a life with self esteem are important."
