Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury has written to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy asking the state to support constitutional challenges in the Supreme Court against amendments to the Transgender Persons law that replaced self-identification with mandatory medical certification. The amendments, passed in March, triggered protests and resignations from the government's National Council for Transgender Persons.
Chowdhury asked Telangana's Additional Advocate General to assist the court in defending transgender rights, and separately asked the state to examine how the amended law might conflict with its existing welfare programs. She noted Congress opposed the amendments in the Rajya Sabha, arguing they violate constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21.
Multiple challenges to the amendments are pending before the Supreme Court, which has issued notice to the Union government; the next hearing is scheduled for August 17.
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