Varanasi jewellers stop sale to burqa, mask-wearing customers over security concerns

This decision has been taken in view of the incidents of theft, robbery, and fraud that have occurred in several districts, they claimed.

A local unit of the Uttar Pradesh Jewellers Association (UPJA) in Varanasi has imposed a ban on selling jewellery to customers whose faces are covered with a veil, burqa, mask or helmet, citing growing security concerns following incidents of theft and fraud.

The decision, taken on Saturday, comes amid reports of robberies across several districts where suspects allegedly concealed their identities by covering their faces. Kamal Singh, district president of the UPJA, said jewellers were acting purely out of safety concerns.

“We will not sell jewellery items to customers whose faces are covered. If a person with a covered face commits a crime, their identity cannot be established,” Singh said. “For this, we have put up posters in front of our shops, which state that entry into the shop is prohibited while wearing a mask, burqa, helmet, or veil.”

Singh added that the association was not targeting any community. “If a customer comes wearing a hijab, they should uncover their face upon entering the shop so that the jewellers can feel safe,” he said.

UPJA state president Satya Narayan Seth said similar notices have been displayed at jewellery shops in several districts, including Jhansi, adding that Varanasi alone has thousands of such outlets.“Everyone is facing problems with people covering their faces. The association is not opposing any person’s religion. It is doing this only for jewellers’ own safety,” Seth said.

“Muslim customers can come wearing a burqa, but they should remove it before entering the shop so that their identity can be confirmed.” However, the move has drawn criticism from within the trade. Shahid, a jeweller from the Lohta area, said refusing entry to customers wearing burqas could hurt business and dignity. “It is wrong to refuse entry to customers wearing burqas. Such a refusal will drive away customers,” he said. “Asking a woman wearing a burqa to remove it would be insulting.”

He added that thefts involving burqas were rare. “If there is a female employee in the shop, she can see the woman’s face, but a male employee cannot remove the woman’s burqa to see her face; this is not right,” Shahid said.

Government advocate Rana Sanjeev Singh defended the association’s decision, saying it did not violate any law. “Recently, several incidents have surfaced on social media and in the media where women wearing burqas were caught on CCTV cameras stealing from jewellery shops and their identities could not be established due to the veil,” he said. “Everyone has the right to their own security. There is nothing wrong with that.”

The decision has triggered a wider debate in the state over balancing security concerns with religious sensitivity and customer rights.