Narendra Modi’s government has long been determined to remove the last remnants of India’s colonial past, targeting everything from the English language to street names and the traditions of the armed forces (Amrit Dhillon writes). Now the Indian prime minister has a new target: fashion.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railways minister, has banned the bandhgala, the uniform of senior railway staff introduced by the British. The jacket, buttoned to the top with a Chinese collar, is also known as a “prince suit” because it originated in the princely state of Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

“We have to get rid of all colonial mindsets,” Vaishnaw said. “We need to find each of them and remove them — whether it’s in our working style or dressing style.”

Introduced by the British as an adaptation of the western formal suit, the bandhgala is regarded as thoroughly Indian. It is the jacket of choice for men at weddings, worn by royalty, the elite and middle class. Some Indians were bemused at the ban. One wrote on X: “These fools in the government … the bandhgala is firmly recognised as an Indian garment.”

In 2024, the Indian government banned black gowns and mortarboards at state medical college graduations.