Incident at Cooper Hospital
A viral video showing two women wearing burqas being stopped from entering Mumbai's BMC-run Cooper Hospital has sparked a political row, with the hospital responding by issuing a show-cause notice to the security guard involved.
The footage shows the two women, one of whom was carrying a baby, being stopped at the hospital entrance by a female security guard. One of the women confronts the guard, questioning why she was not allowed entry while wearing a burqa. The woman, identified as advocate Jahanara, said she had visited the Andheri hospital on Sunday to meet a relative who was admitted there.
"I went to Cooper Hospital, and I was stopped right outside the maternity ward and told that I could not go inside wearing a burqa," Jahanara told reporters. "Even after I spoke to them and introduced myself, I was still stopped and told, 'No matter who you are, we will not allow you to enter in a burqa.'"
According to Jahanara, security personnel told her that babies get stolen when people enter wearing burqas. Questioning the reasoning, she asked, "Are babies stolen only by people wearing burqas?"
Another advocate, Zahra Shaikh, also said she faced a similar situation at the hospital and confirmed that the videos circulating on social media were genuine. She said security personnel told her the restriction was imposed for security reasons and because children could allegedly be kidnapped by people wearing burqas.
During the altercation, a male security guard also attempted to stop the person recording the incident on a mobile phone, but the person continued filming despite repeated warnings.
Hospital's Response
Cooper Hospital Dean Dr Chaya Shinde said there had been a "severe miscommunication" and maintained that the hospital treated all patients and their relatives with respect. "The incident should not have happened. We have served a show-cause notice to the female security personnel who was on duty at the time," Dr Shinde said.
The hospital also conducted sensitisation workshops for its staff in the wake of the incident. The hospital currently has 76 security personnel, of whom only 12 are permanent, against a requirement of 176 personnel.
Political Reactions
The incident drew strong reactions from political figures. Samajwadi Party politician Rais Shaikh described the incident as deeply concerning. AIMIM leader Waris Pathan condemned the alleged incident, calling it a violation of constitutional rights.
Congress MLA Aslam Sheikh alleged that such controversies were deliberately created to divert public attention from more pressing issues.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said that if a person wearing a burqa had indeed been denied entry to the hospital, it was "completely wrong."
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane backed the hospital's reported security concerns, claiming that restrictions could be justified if they were intended to prevent crimes and child abduction.