Nitish Kumar faces heat for removing doctor’s hijab during govt function

PATNA: The act of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulling a hijab down from a woman’s face during a government function has stoked a controversy. Many including the opposition and the public stepped forward criticizing his act soon after the video went viral on social media.

The chief minister removed the hijab of Dr Nusrat Parveen when appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. The video shows him showing sign to remove the hijab after giving her the appointment letter. The deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary was seen trying to stop the chief minister.

RJD and the congress had shared the video of it on their X handles. ‘What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental state has now reached a completely pitiable condition,’ the congress wrote in Hindi on X. Has Nitish Babu now become a 100 per cent member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said RJD.

‘Look at his shameless act. This is Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He pulled down the hijab of a woman doctor while giving her appointment letter. The highest office-bearer in Bihar is doing such a despicable act in public. Think about how safe women are in the state. Nitish Kumar, who did this despicable act, should resign immediately. This is intolerable,’ the Congress criticized.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi reacted to this by calling it public humiliation. ‘It is her dignity and knowledge of being an equal that makes her stand there to receive the acknowledgement she deserves. No father figure, CM, PM, brother or husband should be allowed to publicly humiliate an adult, educated woman for her choice of dress,’ she wrote on X.

The event took place at the chief minister's residence. Appointment letters were given to 1,283 AYUSH doctors at the function. Among those appointed, 685 were Ayurvedic doctors, 393 were homeopaths and 205 were unani doctors. Ten were given appointment letters by Nitish Kumar in person and the rest online. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and Ministers Vijay Kumar Chowdhury and Mangal Pandey were also present at the ceremony.