Opposition Slams Nitish For Removing Hijab of AYUSH Doctor, Raises Questions About His Mental Health

A political storm has stirred up in Bihar after chief minister Nitish Kumar was seen pulling down the hijab (headscarf) of a Muslim woman AYUSH doctor as he was handing her an appointment letter at a government function in Patna on Monday (December 15).

The incident has resulted in condemnation from both the opposition and the civil society who have termed the act as an assault on a Muslim woman's modesty and demanded an apology from Nitish Kumar.

“This act was an assault on this woman’s dignity, autonomy, and identity. When a public official forcibly pulls down a woman’s hijab, it sends a message to the general public that this behaviour is acceptable. No one has the right to police a woman’s faith or clothing. Such actions deepen fear, normalize discrimination, and erode the very foundations of equality and freedom of religion. This violation demands unequivocal condemnation and accountability. Urgent steps must be taken to ensure that no woman is subjected to such degrading treatment,” said Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India, in a statement.

However, Kumar's party the Janata Dal (United) (JD (U)), put on the backfoot by the incident, defended the chief minister, calling it a "paternalistic gesture."

The incident took place on Monday at a programme organised at the chief minister's secretariat to distribute appointment letters to 1283 newly appointed AYUSH (Unani, Ayurveda, and Homeopathy) doctors. Kumar was distributing the appointment letters to the doctors.

Sources told The Wire that about 15 to 20 doctors were selected to receive their appointment letters on stage, including the Muslim woman doctor who appeared at the event wearing a hijab.

When the woman went on stage to receive her appointment letter, Kumar pulled off her hijab while handing her the letter. The programme was being live-streamed on the Information and Public Relations Department's Facebook page, and the incident was captured in the live stream. However, the video was immediately taken down from the Facebook page, and an edited video was later uploaded, with the controversial part removed. But by then, the video had gone viral on social media platforms.

 The incident led to a brief commotion, and the programme was ended shortly afterward. The woman doctor's colleague told The Wire that the hijab is her usual attire, and she used to wear it to college as well. She has been studying post graduate from Bihar Tibbi Medical college and Hospital, the first Unani college of India established in 1926.

Criticism from opposition

The state's main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), shared the video on its social media handles and sharply criticised chief minister Kumar. On its Facebook page, the RJD wrote – "What has happened to Nitish ji? Has his mental state completely deteriorated, or has Nitish Babu truly become 100 per cent a Sangh supporter?"

RJD spokesperson Jayant Jigyasu told The Wire, “The veil, the purdah, is a tradition that has been going on for centuries. If there is to be a change in this, it is better that the change comes through public awareness. But we object to this method (of Nitish Kumar). A woman has her own dignity. This (act) appeared contrary to human dignity and respect. It cannot be justified in any way.”

Other opposition parties raised questions about Kumar's mental health.

“When fourth-grade employees are appointed, their mental and physical health is checked, and the person who is the head of Bihar's 14 crore population is somehow not mentally healthy. We want Bihar to be led by a healthy man, a mentally sound man. Nitish Kumar is being defamed throughout the country. We have been demanding that the Chief Minister's mental health be examined,” said Jan Suraaj Party spokesperson Syed Masih Uddin.

The Congress party shared the video on its social media handle X and wrote, “This is Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Look at his shamelessness. When a female doctor came to collect her appointment letter, Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab.”

The Bihar Mahila Samaj, a non-government organisation working on women rights, termed the incident an attack on the Constitution, women's dignity, and religious freedom.

“This incident is not only objectionable and shameful, but it is a direct attack on the dignity, privacy, and religious freedom of women. Such conduct by an elected Chief Minister exposes the arrogance of power and a patriarchal mindset. Such acts create an atmosphere of insecurity and fear among minority communities, especially Muslim women,” said Nivedita Jha, the organisation's president.

“Nitish Kumar should publicly and unconditionally apologise for this unconstitutional and humiliating act, and the government should ensure that the dignity and religious freedom of any woman are not violated in the future,” she added.

Awkward moments in the past

This is not the first time that Kumar has been at the centre of controversy. In the past two years, his awkward gestures have attracted headlines and social media memes. In June last year, during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in New Delhi, Kumar tried to touch the feet of prime minister Narendra Modi. It was repeated in November this year in a public meeting in Darbhanga as well.

In March this year, after Kumar was presented a flower pot, he had placed it on the head of IAS officer S. Sidharth. In the same month, Kumar was seen talking and laughing during the national anthem. In another instance, he had put his hand over the shoulder of a woman in presence of home minister Amit Shah for photo-ops. 

 Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishore had termed these activities as abnormal and he had demanded on several occasions that a medical check up of Kumar is done. In November this year, Kishor had told NDTV, “I have no hesitation in saying that Nitish Kumar ji is not mentally and physically well.”

"It's not about being older or younger. If you are a chief minister who doesn't appear mentally and physically fit, I would say so. Whether it backfires or not, I am not taking my words back," Kishor had said in the interview.

However, JD(U) leaders have been defending Kumar. When asked about Kumar’s mental health, JD(U) spokesperson Niraj Kumar told The Wire, “He is absolutely fine. The opposition is raising questions about Nitish Kumar's mental health, so they should see where their (opposition's) political health stands, courtesy this same Nitish Kumar (an allusion to the opposition's loss in the Bihar assembly elections earlier this year).”

“The opposition is spreading misinformation that Nitish Kumar is ill. This is completely false. During the elections, the CM traveled 650 kilometers by road in two days. This proves that the CM is fitter than the opposition leaders,” JDU's acting national president, Sanjay Jha, said at an event in Madhubani recently. 

However, analysts believe that JD(U) leaders are defending Kumar's health because they fear that it will harm party unity.

Pushpendra, former professor at Tata Institute of Social sciences (TISS) said, “Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar, and Narendra Modi are considered charismatic personalities. It is said that only they could do what they did, and no one else could. Stories circulate about them. Various titles and epithets are given to them. Their image is that of a miraculous figure.”

“Such people have no alternative in the party. In the party, everyone is equal, but only one leader is above everyone else. Same is with JD(U). In JD(U) all leaders are of same stature but Nitish Kumar is above all. So, if the party tries to put someone else in his place, no one will accept it. The party has no alternative to Nitish, therefore its leaders are in denial mode to protect the party. But this denial is harming the image of Nitish Kumar,” he added.

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