Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has come under scrutiny following an incident where he pulled down the hijab of a newly recruited AYUSH doctor during a government event. The incident occurred at the CM's secretariat during a ceremony where appointment letters were distributed to over 1,000 AYUSH doctors.
A video clip of the event has gone viral on social media, prompting significant backlash from opposition parties. The Indian Express reported that the opposition, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, criticised Kumar's actions, questioning his mental stability and calling the incident a reflection of his conduct.
RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari stated, “Such incidents show that CM Nitish Kumar is not in control. Attempting to remove the hijab of a woman is surely not in good taste.” The video shared by the Congress party depicted Kumar asking the hijab-clad recruit, “What is this?” before pulling her hijab down.
In defense of Kumar, JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar argued that the incident should not overshadow the Chief Minister's contributions to women's empowerment and minority welfare. He emphasized that “a stray visual image should not be played up unnecessarily by the Opposition.”
According to the report, the Chief Minister's remarks and actions have been met with mixed reactions, with some supporting his stance while others condemn it.
The event where the incident occurred was intended to celebrate the appointment of AYUSH doctors, with 685 Ayurveda doctors, 393 Homeopaths, and 205 practitioners of Unani medicine receiving their job letters. Kumar handed over job letters to ten appointees in person, while the rest received them online.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.