Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sparked nationwide outrage after forcibly pulling down a Muslim woman doctor’s hijab during an official ceremony in Patna on December 15, 2025. The shocking incident occurred at an appointment letter distribution event for newly recruited AYUSH doctors at the Chief Minister’s secretariat.
In a viral video that has drawn widespread condemnation, the 75-year-old CM looked at the hijab-clad woman collecting her job letter and asked, “What is this?” before bending down and pulling her hijab down. The woman, identified as Dr. Nusrat Parveen, appeared visibly shocked and flustered as an official quickly pulled her aside. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary attempted to stop him, but the damage was already done before the entire audience.
Opposition parties launched scathing attacks on Kumar. The Congress party demanded his immediate resignation, posting on social media about his shamelessness in humiliating a female doctor in public. The Rashtriya Janata Dal questioned his mental health, stating his condition has reached a pitiable state. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti questioned whether the act reflected old age or the normalization of publicly humiliating Muslims in India.
Legal experts point out that the act potentially violates multiple constitutional provisions protecting dignity, bodily integrity, and religious freedom. The incident could fall under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code regarding assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
Women’s rights organizations and minority groups have used this incident to highlight broader concerns about surveillance and policing of Muslim women’s clothing in India. The episode adds to growing anxieties about religious freedom, especially as hijab bans in educational institutions have become increasingly common.
A recent US Commission on International Religious Freedom report recommended designating India as a country of “special concern” due to religious prejudice and serious violations of religious freedom.
There has been no official apology from the Chief Minister’s Office, while criticism and demands for accountability continue mounting as the video circulates across social media platforms.
