The owner of GT World Mall on Magadi Road has voluntarily closed the mall following a controversy over the refusal of entry to a farmer dressed in a traditional dhoti. This action comes in response to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) instructions.
The incident occurred on July 17, when a farmer from Haveri was denied entry into the mall because he was wearing a dhoti, a traditional Indian garment. This led to widespread debate and outrage. The mall has now been closed voluntarily as per BBMP’s directive.
Prashant, son of GT Mall owner Anand, addressed the incident, stating, “An unfortunate incident occurred due to a mistake by new staff. As the mall owner, I apologise for this incident. We have terminated the staff involved. This should not have happened. My father has also spoken and asked for forgiveness.”
Prashant added, “We received a notice from BBMP regarding the incident and were informed about Rs. 1.70 crore in tax arrears for one year. We have voluntarily closed the mall until further notice and personally apologised to Fakirappa. We need two or three days to resolve this issue.”
Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh announced in the Legislative Assembly that the mall would be closed for seven days according to the law. He confirmed that the government had intervened following demands for action in the House.
Speaker UT Khader, who brought up the issue, condemned the mall’s actions, stating, “When a farmer wearing traditional Karnataka dress was denied entry, it was an insult. The government should take strict action against the mall, and a message should be sent to all malls. It is important to respond to the concerns of the common people.”
The controversy began when Nagaraj, a resident of Haveri, visited GT Mall with his father to watch a movie. Nagaraj’s father was denied entry due to his attire, despite pleas to the staff for over half an hour. The security guard stated that higher officials had instructed not to allow entry to those dressed in this manner. Nagaraj shared the incident on social media, sparking outrage and protests from various organisations.
Following the backlash, the mall staff called Fakirappa, the farmer involved, to apologise and honour him. Security guard Arun explained, ” on July 16 afternoon, a man came to the mall in a Dhoti. He was standing with the dhoti up to his knees, and a birthday party was happening downstairs. We brought the matter to the management’s attention. In the evening, another farmer came wearing a dhoti We stopped him and informed management. It was not deliberately prevented; we were waiting for management’s response.”
In addition to public outrage, the BBMP’s revenue and health departments have issued notices to the mall. The revenue department’s notice concerns property tax arrears, while the health department addresses the incident. Prashant emphasised that no political pressure is involved and that the closure is a response to their own mistake.
A case has been registered against the owner of GT World shopping mall and security guard Arun at KP Agrahara Police Station based on a complaint filed by Kannada activist Dharmaraj Gowda. The complaint alleges that the mall’s security guards humiliated the farmer.
The insult to the farmer triggered widespread opposition from across the state̤. Many Kannada organisations staged protests against mall management and even filed police complaints against the insult̤ ̤
The government has taken the restricted access to malls and clubs seriously. Home Minister G. Parameshwar stated that guidelines must be introduced in the next few days.
Speaking at Vidhana Soudha, he commented on the issue of farmers being prohibited from entering GT Mall in the city, referring to it as a colonial mindset. He emphasised the need to respect local attire, stating that “Panche (Dhoti) “ is our traditional attire in Karnataka, while people wear dhoti ” should be respected. He also mentioned similar incidents occurring in some clubs in Bangalore.
