A youth was reportedly prevented from boarding the Bengaluru Metro on Tuesday by officials of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) because his shirt was unbuttoned.
At the Doddakallasandra Metro Station, BMRCL staff purportedly instructed the youth to button up his shirt and return to the station with clean clothes, threatening to deny him entry otherwise.
The incident drew attention when fellow passengers intervened, with one recording the episode and sharing it on social media platforms.
Expressing dismay, a co-passenger posted on X, tagging BMRCL and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, “One more cloth/attire related incident happened in front of me just now. A labourer was stopped and told to stitch up his top two buttons. When did Namma Metro become like this?”
In response, BMRCL stated that all passengers are treated equally, regardless of their socio-economic status or gender. The officials reportedly suspected that the passenger was intoxicated and wanted to ensure the safety of other passengers, especially women and children. After counseling, the individual was permitted to travel.
This incident follows a previous controversy where BMRCL staff prevented a farmer from boarding the train, citing his tattered clothes and the bag he carried on his head. The public outcry led to the dismissal of a security staff member by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation.
The latest incident has sparked debate about the treatment of passengers by metro authorities, raising questions about discrimination and profiling based on attire or appearance.
