New Delhi- Expressing alarm and distress at the undue and unjustifiable haste with which the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 over two consecutive days, despite resistance of lakhs of members of transgender, intersex, gender queer, non-binary communities across India and the vocal opposition within Parliament by many MPs, 140+ lawyers and feminists associated with NAJAR and ALIFA (NAPM) sent an urgent Appeal to the President of India today morning.

The Appeal strongly urges the President to withhold her assent to the regressive Bill, by exercising her power under Article 111 of the Constitution of India and instead send it back to Parliament for reconsideration.

The signatories urged the the President to recommend to the Parliament that the Bill be referred to the relevant Standing Committee or a Select or Joint Parliament Committee for impartial and thorough scrutiny and extensive consultations with members of the transgender, intersex, non-binary and genderqueer communities, collectives and civil society, civil liberties groups on the operational and procedural aspects and limitations of the 2019 Act and the present Bill.

The letter also points out the multiple procedural infirmities in the manner of passage of the Bill, violating the Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy (2014) and Govt misleading the House that the transgender communities were consulted prior to amendments being introduced.

The letter stated emphatically that there was no consultation even with the members of the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) constituted under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, before bringing in these deeply problematic amendments. At the last minute the NCTP members were invited to Delhi, on 22nd March ; but the Minister, MoSJE didn't meet the Council. As on date, it is reported that multiple members of NCTP have resigned, owing to severe democratic deficit in the entire process and the far-reaching effects this regressive Bill would have on lakhs of transgender persons.

The Bill severely violates three major judgements of the Supreme Court in NALSA vs Union of India (2014), Puttuswamy vs Union of India (2018) and Jane Kaushik vs. Union of India (2025).

The right to self-determination / self-identification of one’s gender is a fundamental right protected under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution and the current Bill de-recognizes this right in an unconstitutional manner and ushers in unacceptable criminalization of individual right to gender identity and support to the same.

The letter also pointed out that the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee appointed by the Supreme Court in the Jane Kaushik case, Justice (Retd.) Asha Menon wrote an urgent letter to the Union Government (Minister of MoSJE) on 25-3-2026 to withdraw the Bill, but the Government still went ahead and passed it in Parliament.

The signatories hoped that the President will exercise her constitutional powers in holding back assent and discharge her constitutional and moral responsibility in advancing the rights of some of the most marginalized communities of India.

The Joint Appeal to the President was issued by All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) and National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR) - pan indian platforms of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM). ALIFA is a collective of feminist, grassroots organizations and individuals and NAJAR is a forum of progressive lawyers and legal professionals for democratic causes. Many of our members also identify as transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, intersex persons and others are in solidarity, together asserting constitutional and human rights.