Bengaluru: Several members of pro-Kannada outfits on Wednesday morning staged a protest outside the GT World Mall off Magadi Main Road after a farmer was allegedly denied entry as he wore “traditional” clothing. The mall authorities later apologised.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, at around 6 pm when septuagenarian Phakeerappa from the Haveri district visited the mall along with his wife and son to watch a movie. Phakeerappa was clad in a crisp white shirt and panche (dhoti). “He [the security staffer] told us that we won’t be allowed inside in a panche,” Phakeerappa told the media. “To enter, wear trousers and come, we were told.”
Phakeerappa’s son Nagaraj said that they were not allowed because of the “rules”.
“At the main gate, we were told we wouldn’t be allowed and to speak to the supervisors. When I spoke with the higher authorities, we were told that we wouldn't be allowed in a panche, no matter what. It was my wish to watch a movie with my parents at the mall,” he said.
Nagaraj also shared a video recording where the security staffer was heard saying "those were the rules".
As soon as the news spread, pro-Kannada and farmer outfits were outraged and demanded an apology from the mall authorities.
On Wednesday morning, activists arrived at the entrance of the mall and staged a protest. Some of them wore panches as a sign of protest.
“Why are people wearing skimpy clothes allowed in while those wearing panches are not allowed?” asked a pro-Kannada leader.
Kuruburu Shanthakumar, state president of Karnataka Federation of Farmers’ Associations, demanded an immediate apology, failing which he warned of large-scale protests. “We will get thousands of farmers and enter the mall as a sign of protest. The police should initiate action immediately,” the senior farmer leader said.
During the day, Phakeerappa visited the mall again in the presence of the protesters and was garlanded by the mall authorities. The security staffer also apologised for his actions
Suresh, in charge of the mall, said that the security staff was new, that what he did was a mistake and that he was fired from the job. “I apologise for his actions. A mistake was made, it will be inquired,” Suresh told the media. “There are no such rules, which deny entry inside the mall based on the attire. The person responsible has been dismissed from work.”