Civil rights groups are calling on the Attorney-General of the American state of California to reconsider her support for prison regulations that ban guards from wearing a beard.
The groups are supporting former Indian naval officer Trilochan Oberoi who wants to become a prison officer but says his beard is a significant symbol of his Sikh faith, the BBC reports.
Mr Oberoi claims the rules violate his civil rights.
Attorney general Kamala Harris backed a state prison's department claim that Mr Oberoi could not be properly fitted for a gas mask unless he shaved off his beard.
