Nitish Kumar (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Saturday issued a letter expressing its “strongest condemnation” of the recent incident in Bihar in which CM Nitish Kumar pulled down the hijab of a woman doctor during a public ceremony.The incident, which occurred on December 15 at the chief minister’s secretariat in Patna during the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors, was captured in a video that quickly went viral. The clip showed Nitish questioning the woman’s naqab, saying “what is this?” and then attempting to remove it, leaving the doctor visibly flustered. Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary appeared to intervene to restrain him. In a post on X, RJD wrote: “What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental state has now reached a completely pitiable condition, or has Nitish Babu become 100% Sanghi now?” In its letter, the SCBA condemned the Bihar CM’s action as an infringement on the woman’s autonomy, religious freedom and personal dignity.It stated, “Besides infringing on her autonomy, agency and religious freedom, it is a reflection of the depraving attitude against women in general.” The association also condemned “the vile comments made by union minister Giriraj Singh and Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad,” saying such remarks further undermined the dignity of women. Signed by SCBA secretary Pragya Baghel, the letter demanded an unconditional apology from the chief minister and others involved.The controversy escalated after union minister Giriraj Singh defended Nitish, describing the incident as “nothing wrong” and framing it as a procedural act. Singh said it was up to the woman to refuse the government job or “go to hell” and argued that the act should not be seen through a religious lens. He drew parallels to other official procedures, stating, “When you go to get a passport, do you not show your face? When you go to the airport, do you not show your face? People talk about Pakistan and Englishtan, but this is India. In India, the rule of law prevails.”Similarly, Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad’s remarks defending Bihar CM were widely criticised. Nishad initially supported Nitish’s action but later said his comments were misunderstood due to translation issues and offered to withdraw them if they had hurt sentiments. Despite this, opposition leaders continued to demand an unconditional apology from both ministers.
