Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill Must Be Withdrawn – AIPF
S.R. Darapuri
Statement Issued by the Working Committee of the All India Peoples Front Regarding the Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill-2026
· Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill Must Be Withdrawn – AIPF
· The Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill Contradicts the Fundamental Rights to Privacy, Dignity, and Personal Autonomy
Lucknow, March 26, 2026
In a statement issued regarding the Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill,-2026, the Working Committee of the All India Peoples Front asserts that these amendments fundamentally negate the principle of self-determination of gender identity—a principle recognized by the Supreme Court in the *NALSA vs. Union of India* (2014) case. Section 2 of this Bill refuses to recognize self-perceived gender identity; instead, it imposes a definition under which obtaining a certificate from a Medical Board headed by a Chief Medical Officer becomes mandatory for the purpose of identity recognition. Section 4 of the Bill empowers the District Magistrate to scrutinize these certificates closely before issuing an identity card; consequently, transgender persons would be subjected to intrusive bureaucratic and medical surveillance—a level of oversight that borders on 'personal surveillance.' These provisions constitute a direct violation of the fundamental rights to privacy, dignity, and personal autonomy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Through these amendments, the definition of Transgender persons has been significantly narrowed. While the 2019 Act recognized trans-men, trans-women, gender-queer individuals, and persons with diverse gender identities, the amended definition restricts this recognition primarily to specific socio-cultural communities and individuals with 'intersex' variations. The 'Statement of Objects and Reasons' explicitly states that the Bill harbours no intention of providing protection to individuals based on their self-perceived gender identity. Due to this deliberate exclusion, trans men, non-binary individuals, and gender-fluid individuals are completely left outside the scope of legal protections—an infringement upon personal liberty.
It is well known that the BJP government has long been attempting to impose a feudal and fundamentalist ideology regarding gender and social order, driven by the ideology of Hindutva. This Bill reflects that very same regressive mindset, which deprives individuals of the right to define their own identities. This regressive mentality is also evident in the Central Government's stance before the Supreme Court, wherein it stated that it is not in favour of lifting the discriminatory ban on blood donation by transgender individuals.
This regressive amendment systematically dismantles the limited safeguards enshrined in the 2019 Act, replacing them with a system characterized by state surveillance, medical gatekeeping, and bureaucratic control. This Bill constitutes a direct assault on the constitutional rights of transgender individuals and must be withdrawn immediately.
The Working Committee of the All India Peoples Front emphasizes that laws impacting the rights and lives of any specific community should not be enacted without prior consultation with the relevant stakeholders. AIPF demands the withdrawal of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026.
S.R. Darapuri,
National President,
All India Peoples Front
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National President,
All India Peoples Front