Rahul Gandhi calls transgender bill ‘attack on rights’; Opposition exits House in protest

NCP leader Supriya Sule said that she does not see the “urgency” of a transgender amendment bill when the world is at war.

New Delhi: The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, with the Opposition staging a walkout protesting against the legislation as well as the reply by minister Virendra Kumar. The legislation was passed by a voice vote.

The Bill, which sought to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, mandated that a transgender person who seeks a certificate of identity as a transgender person must apply to the District Magistrate, who will issue the certificate after examining the recommendation of a designated medical board.

Opposition parties including the Congress, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena(UBT), RJD, SP, AITC, etc, opposed the Bill stating that it violated basic principles of the right to human dignity, and was in contravention of the NALSA judgement.

In defence of the Bill, Virendra Kumar said that only those in need of protection and safety will come under the ambit of the amended legislation.

“Our approach has been to give the trans community the legal protection they deserve. Will have to make sure that we do not discriminate against any citizen of the country,” he said, leading to a walkout by the Opposition.

Both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi opposed the Bill. Rahul said that the bill is a “brazen attack on the constitutional rights and identity of transgender people”.

“This regressive bill strips transgender people of their ability to self identify, violating a Supreme Court judgment. The Bill overlooks the diverse cultural identities of various communities across India, and forces transpeople to undergo dehumanising examinations by a medical board. The Bill has brought in criminal penalties and surveillance without safeguards. The government has not consulted the trans community; this Bill stigmatises them in the name of protection,” Gandhi said.

Priyanka said that the bill should have been sent for further consultations. “It is unfortunate that they are not sending it to the Standing Committee … in the very least that should have been done in consultation with the community. The trans community feels that this bill could obliterate their identity. It was very important that they be consulted and that the bill be passed only after proper discussion,” she said. 

Speaking during the Bill’s passage, NCP leader Supriya Sule, opposing the legislation said that she does not see the “urgency” of a transgender amendment bill when the world is at war. The bill should have gone to a select council for review because it is against the trans community, she added.