Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticised the newly introduced Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it a “deeply regressive” step.
Tharoor said he was closely tracking developments and expressed concern over the lack of stakeholder consultation.
The bill appears to reverse the rights-based framework established after the Supreme Court’s 2014 NALSA judgment, with changes to self-identification under fire.
Tharoor argued that the proposed removal of provisions recognising self-identified gender shifts the authority of identity recognition from individuals to the state.
He also criticised the proposed narrowing of the definition of “transgender person,” warning that it could exclude trans men, trans women, and non-binary individuals.
Activists have also raised concerns over the lack of consultation and say the proposed changes dilute the protections provided under the 2019 law.
