Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, has sparked widespread outrage after a video showed him pulling down a Muslim woman's hijab during a public event at his residence.
The incident occurred at a ceremony to hand out appointment letters to newly recruited practitioners of traditional medicine. In the footage, Mr Kumar is seen saying “What is this?” as Nusrat Parveen approaches to receive her letter. She appears visibly taken aback as an official quickly guides her away, while deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary tugs at Mr Kumar's sleeve in an apparent attempt to stop him.
The video drew sharp reactions from opposition parties and rights groups. Aakar Patel, head of Amnesty International India, said in a statement that the act was “an assault on this woman’s dignity, autonomy, and identity” and called for “unequivocal condemnation and accountability”.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bihar’s main opposition party, shared the clip on X, questioning Mr Kumar’s mental state. Opposition MP Manoj Jha described the visuals as “unsettling” and noted that the deputy chief minister had tried to stop him. The Congress party called the act “vile” and demanded Mr Kumar’s resignation, asking how safe women would be in the state.
It was also reported that Ms Parveen was reconsidering joining the service after the incident, though these claims could not be verified. The Chief Minister’s Office had not issued a response at the time of writing.
