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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Bhubaneswar/Berhampur, Dec 2: A 45-year-old theatre actor playing the role of a demon in Ramayana was arrested after he ripped the stomach of a live pig on stage and ate its meat in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said.
The incident sparked a statewide outrage and was condemned in the assembly on Monday.
Besides the actor, identified as Bimbadhar Gouda, one of the organisers of the play that took place in Ralab village in Hinjili police station area on November 24 was also arrested for cruelty to animals and violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Ruling BJP members Babu Singh and Sanatan Bijuli strongly condemned the incident in the assembly.
Action was taken against the duo after videos of the incident went viral on social media, with animal rights activists also condemning it and calling for strong action against the accused.
"We are also looking for the persons who displayed snakes in the theatre. They will also be arrested soon," Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sunny Khokar said.
He, however, did not disclose the name of the arrested organiser.
The state government, in a guideline issued in August last year, prohibited the public display of snakes, including by certified snake handlers.
"We have registered a case against the theatre actor who killed the pig and ate its meat in the theatre, and arrested him," said Hinjili police station inspector-in-charge Srinibas Sethy said.
To attract audience, the theatre group displayed snakes while a demon ripped the stomach of a live pig with a knife, which was tied to a ceiling of the stage and ate some of the organs in full public view, he said.
A group of the villagers organised the theatre on the occasion of Kanjianal Yatra in the village.