Burkha Row At Pune Civic Hearing: Ward Officer Says It Was Only For Identity Verification

Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Pune, 10th September 2026: A controversy has emerged at the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Sinhagad Road ward office after ChaloPMC, a citizen-led advocacy group, alleged that a woman activist was asked to leave a tree-related hearing after a ward officer objected to her wearing a burkha.

According to ChaloPMC, the activist had attended the hearing to participate in proceedings concerning trees. The group alleged that Sinhagad Road ward officer Pradnya Potdar asked the woman to reveal her face to verify her identity before she could remain inside the meeting room.

ChaloPMC claimed that the activist offered to reveal her face for identification but was allegedly not allowed to stay inside the room. She was reportedly asked to remain outside until the hearing was completed.

The incident has raised questions about access to civic hearings and how citizens participating in public proceedings are treated, particularly when they approach government offices to raise civic concerns.

Officer’s Clarification
Responding to the allegations, Potdar said her intention was only to verify the woman’s identity because the hearing was being conducted inside a government institution.

Potdar said only the woman’s eyes were visible and that she had asked her to reveal her face so that her identity could be verified. According to Potdar, the woman expressed discomfort about revealing her face because several men were present in the room.

Potdar said she explained that identity verification was necessary inside a government institution. She also clarified that she did not specifically ask the woman to leave the premises and that the woman left on her own after the discussion.

“I only asked her to reveal her identity because this is a government institution and identity verification is required. She said she was not comfortable because there were men present. I did not tell her to leave; she left on her own. For me, it was a normal request to verify her identity,” Potdar said.

The incident has drawn attention to the balance between identity verification, individual privacy and citizens’ right to participate in civic hearings.