SRINAGAR: A newly hired AYUSH doctor in Bihar was shocked on Monday when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled the hijab (veil) off her face while she was receiving her appointment letter. The incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, took place at Samvad, the Chief Minister’s office, where over 1,000 AYUSH doctors were receiving their appointment letters.
According to media reports, the new hires included 685 Ayurveda doctors, 393 homoeopaths, and 205 Unani practitioners. Of these, 10 people received their job letters directly from Kumar, while the rest received them online.
When it was Nusrat Parveen’s turn, who came with her face covered by a hijab, the 75-year-old Chief Minister frowned and asked, “What is this?” The Chief Minister, standing on a raised platform, then bent down and pulled the hijab down.
A video, now widely shared, shows the 74-year-old JD(U) chief handing a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy) doctor during the event on Monday and motioning to her to remove her hijab. Before the woman could react, Kumar is seen reaching out and pulling down the hijab, exposing her mouth and chin.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, standing behind Kumar, could be seen trying to stop the Chief Minister, even as Health Minister Mangal Pandey and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Deepak Kumar were seen laughing.
The episode drew strong criticism from Opposition parties, especially the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), both of which levelled serious allegations against the Chief Minister after the visuals circulated on social media.
MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi wrote on X, “The conduct displayed by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, publicly pulling at a Muslim woman’s burqa, is indefensible and deeply disturbing.
The conduct displayed by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, publicly pulling at a Muslim woman’s burqa, is indefensible and deeply disturbing.
He owes the woman and the public an unconditional apology.
This erratic conduct is alarming and points to a man who no longer possesses the…
— Office of Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (@Office_ASRM) December 15, 2025
“He owes the woman and the public an unconditional apology,” he wrote.
“This erratic conduct is alarming and points to a man who no longer possesses the composure or mental clarity required for constitutional office. Seeking medical attention and stepping aside is necessary,” Ruhullah wrote on X.
Reacting to the incident, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti posted on X, saying: “Having personally known and admired Nitish ji, I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman’s naqaab. Does one attribute it to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly? The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form of entertainment is even more unsettling. Nitish Sahab, perhaps it’s time you step down?”
Having personally known & admired Nitish ji I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman’s naqaab. Does one attribute it to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly. The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form… pic.twitter.com/1nXl1Xzg1l
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 16, 2025
MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, AIMIM, tweeted, “It is absolutely unacceptable in any circumstance for Bihar’s Chief Minister @NitishKumar to have laid hands on the niqab of a respected woman doctor, Parveen. If the Chief Minister retains even the slightest shred of ethics and modesty, he must immediately apologise.”
“When the Chief Minister of a state himself can commit such an act, who will guarantee the honour and safety of Muslim women?”
“Is depositing Rs 10,000 per month into women’s accounts a bargain for their self-respect?”
“AIMIM stands firmly with full resolve for the honour of women and the protection of the hijab,” the party wrote on X.
Terming Kumar’s act “vile”, the Congress said he should resign from the Chief Minister’s post, while the RJD questioned whether this was proof of his deteriorating mental health.
ये बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार हैं।
इनकी बेशर्मी देखिए- एक महिला डॉक्टर जब अपना नियुक्ति पत्र लेने आई तो नीतीश कुमार ने उनका हिजाब खींच लिया।
बिहार के सबसे बड़े पद पर बैठा हुआ आदमी सरेआम ऐसी नीच हरकत कर रहा है। सोचिए- राज्य में महिलाएं कितनी सुरक्षित होंगी?
नीतीश कुमार… pic.twitter.com/2AO6czZfAA
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 15, 2025
“This is Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Look at his shamelessness — a female doctor had come to collect her appointment letter, and Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab. A man occupying the highest position in Bihar is openly indulging in such a vile act,” the party said in a post on X. “Think about it — how safe will women be in the state? Nitish Kumar should immediately resign for this disgusting behaviour. This vileness is unforgivable,” it added.
Sharing the 11-second clip, the RJD said, “What has happened to Nitish ji? Has his mental state reached a completely pitiable condition, or has Nitish babu become 100 per cent sanghi now?”
यह क्या हो गया है नीतीश जी को?
मानसिक स्थिति बिल्कुल ही अब दयनीय स्थिति में पहुंच चुकी है या नीतीश बाबू अब 100% संघी हो चुके हैं?@yadavtejashwi #RJD #bihar #TejashwiYadav pic.twitter.com/vRyqUaKhwm— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) December 15, 2025
RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed said, “The removal of the hijab from a Muslim woman’s face clearly reveals the NDA government’s attitude towards the Muslim community. Nitish Kumar is now engaged in the politics of appeasing the BJP and RSS. The Indian Constitution guarantees people of all religions the freedom to follow their religious traditions and customs.”
Erstwhile actor Zaira Waseem also frowned over the happening. “A woman’s dignity and modesty are not props to toy with. Least of all on a public stage. As a Muslim woman, watching another woman’s niqab being pulled at so casually, accompanied by that nonchalant smile, was so infuriating,” she said in a post on X. “Power does not grant permission to violate boundaries.” She sought an unconditional apology.
Earlier in August, Kumar had triggered a storm when he refused to wear a skull cap at an event in a madrasa.
This is not the first time that Kumar has behaved strangely in public. A few months ago, he placed a flowerpot on the head of an IAS officer at a function. In January, he suddenly started clapping after paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 77th death anniversary. In March, he was seen laughing and talking to his Principal Secretary as the national anthem was being played at a function. Last year in Darbhanga, Kumar attempted to touch the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following which Opposition leaders called him a “helpless CM”.
