Bengaluru Metro refutes reports of labourer being barred from train over clothes

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has denied reports that a labourer was barred from boarding the metro over his clothes. The denial comes days after reports emerged that a man was not allowed on the metro over his unbuttoned shirt.

According to an eyewitness to the incident, who posted about it on X, Bengaluru metro staff stopped the labourer from boarding the metro at Doddakallasandra Station. The top two buttons of the labourer’s shirt were missing, and he was told to stitch the buttons before he could board.

“One more incident of cloth/attire related incident happened in front of me just now. A labourer was stopped & told to stitch up his top two buttons… When did Namma metro became like this!!?” the X user posted on April 7.
The post led to sharp backlash against BMRCL, this being the second such incident of people being denied boarding. In February, a farmer was reportedly barred from a metro in Bengaluru after authorities felt that his clothes were not clean enough to enter the transport service.

Bengaluru Metro’s response

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has denied allegations that the man was denied boarding because of his unbuttoned shirt. An official of the transport service told Hindustan Times that the man was stopped as metro staff felt he was intoxicated. However, he was later allowed to board.