MUMBAI: The controversy over a woman allegedly being asked to remove her burqa before entering the maternity ward at BMC-run Cooper Hospital has triggered a political row, with the hospital issuing a show-cause notice to the security guard concerned and conducting sensitisation workshops for its staff.The incident came to light after a video went viral, prompting allegations of religious discrimination. Advocate Jahanara Shaikh, who said she had gone to the Andheri hospital on Sunday to visit a relative, alleged that she was stopped outside the maternity ward because she was wearing a burqa.According to Shaikh, when she questioned the restriction, the security personnel allegedly told her that babies are stolen by people wearing burqas.She questioned the logic behind the instruction, saying that responsibility for preventing child abduction rested with hospital authorities and security personnel, not with women wearing a particular form of clothing.“If there is a concern about baby theft, adequate security should be deployed and visitors should be checked properly. Asking a woman to remove her burqa before entering is wrong,” she said, adding that wearing the burqa was a matter of personal choice and religious freedom.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 that the restriction was being imposed for security reasons and because children could allegedly be kidnapped by people wearing burqas.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.She said the hospital had subsequently conducted sensitisation workshops for doctors and security personnel. However, frequent changes among security staff remained a challenge.The hospital currently has 76 security personnel, of whom only 12 are permanent, against a requirement of 176 personnel, she said. Maharashtra Security Force personnel were expected to be deployed at the hospital, but the process was still underway.The incident also drew reactions from political leaders across party lines.Samajwadi Party politician Rais Shaikh described the incident as deeply concerning and said no woman should face discrimination because of her attire or religion.AIMIM leader Waris Pathan condemned the alleged incident, calling it a violation of constitutional rights, including freedom of religion and personal choice.Congress MLA Aslam Sheikh alleged that such controversies were deliberately created to divert public attention from more pressing issues.Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, however, said that if a person wearing a burqa had indeed been denied entry to the hospital, it was “completely wrong”.“On humanitarian grounds, it is our duty to allow any patient visiting the hospital to enter. Caste, religion or creed should not be considered. Every patient is important, and providing treatment is essential,” Tawde said.Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane, meanwhile, backed the hospital’s reported security concerns, claiming that restrictions could be justified if they were intended to prevent crimes and child abduction.
