Burqa-clad woman denied entry at Canara Bank, Guard says 'Burqa allowed nahi hai'; Video viral
Jaipur: A video went viral on social media in which a woman wearing a burqa was stopped from entering a Canara bank branch in the Jagatpura area of Jaipur. The security guard at the bank cited "guidelines" and insisted that she remove her burqa to enter the premises.
In the over 5-minute video, the woman can be seen politely requesting entry into the bank, to which the guard responds by saying that she must remove her burqa as it is "not allowed" as per the guidelines. When the woman questions the guard about these alleged guidelines, he firmly states, "Burqa allowed nahi hai, humko jo guideline mili hai (Burqa is not allowed as per the guidelines given to us)," and proceeds to lock the bank gates. The woman persists in asking the guard to provide proof of the guidelines that prohibit burqas, and he momentarily reopens the gate, stating that he would allow her if his boss permits.
While waiting outside the bank for the "sir" to respond to her request, two to three people are seen entering the bank premises. Afterward, a man escorts the woman to the bank manager's office, where she insists on seeing the guidelines against wearing a burqa. The manager, seemingly on the defensive over the apparent blunder, claims that she was denied entry not because of her burqa but because it was lunchtime. He also requests her to "stop recording inside the bank premises."
The woman alleges that the bank locked its premises soon after she stepped outside for some work. However, the manager confronts her, stating that she should not record inside the bank and that the bank was locked during lunchtime, not because of her. In the video, two other female bank employees intervene to try and defuse the situation, but the woman in the burqa continues to accuse the bank management of intentionally excluding her.
The police have reported that the woman involved has not filed any police complaint about the incident and suggested that the bank's actions were due to "security reasons."
"We spoke to the bank manager.... There is no such guideline. The woman was trying to enter during lunch hours. The guard asked her to reveal her face due to security reasons... They (the woman and her companions) returned (after briefly leaving the bank for some work) and mentioned the burqa again and again," stated CI Arun Chaudhary of Ramnagariya police station.
The woman has not lodged any complaint with the police regarding the incident.
The video, however, has gained widespread attention on social media, leading to calls for action against the bank staff involved.
बुरखा निकाल के जाना....बुरखा अलाउ नही है...
— Kavish Aziz (@azizkavish) September 3, 2023
राजस्थान के जयपुर में @canarabank में बुर्का पहन कर गई महिला को बैंक के अंदर प्रवेश करने पर रोका गया.. @ashokgehlot51 जी आपके राज्य में यह बीजेपी शासित राज्यों वाली गाइडलाइन कब से लागू हो गई pic.twitter.com/qY2RO8neSr
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Attack on Indian-flagged merchant ship off Oman coast unacceptable: MEA
New Delhi (PTI): An Indian-flagged commercial vessel has come under attack off the coast of Oman but all its 14 crew members are safe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
It is not immediately known who carried out the strike on the vessel on Wednesday.
The MEA described the attack as "unacceptable".
"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," it said.
"All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them," it said.
The MEA said India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.
The vessel was sailing from Somalia and the strike triggered a fire that led to sinking of the vessel, it is learnt.
The crew members were rescued by Oman's Coast Guard and taken to Diba port.
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the war between the US and Iran began on February 28.
The latest attack came amid the fragile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
