BJP challenged Nitish Kumar’s criticism with similar video of Ashok Gehlot.
NEW DELHI: A day after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s video went viral, showing him attempting to remove the hijab of a Muslim woman, Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday countered the criticism with an old footage of former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot. The Congress veteran, in the video, is seen removing ghoonghat (veil) of a woman while saying ghoonghat pratha (practice of covering face) is over. The video is a few years old and dates back to when Gehlot was Rajasthan CM.Reacting to a post by Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, criticicing Nitish over pulling a Muslim woman’s hijab during a ceremony distributing appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors, BJP member Radhika Khera said, “Madam, where were you at the time of this despicable act? Where is your and Rahul Baba’s angry tweet on Ashok Gehlot ji?? Then curd froze on the tongue and fingers were locked Did your high command apologize to the entire Hindu community for this? Don’t Hindu women have “rights”?”She also shared video of the incident involving Gehlot years back. Shrinate had said, “Chief minister Nitish Kumar forcibly pulled off a girl’s hijab during a letter distribution function in Bihar. The security guard had to pull the girl back. Why such a pin-drop silence over such a despicable act? A CM did this but there is no outrage? No debate on TV? It’s the height.”The Congress party, in an official X post, described the incident as ‘shameless’ and called for Kumar’s resignation. The post read, “This is Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. A female doctor had come to collect her appointment letter, and Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab. A man occupying the highest position in Bihar is openly indulging in such a vile act. Think about it–how safe will women be in the state? Nitish Kumar should immediately resign for this disgusting behaviour. This vileness is unforgivable.”Meanwhile, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar also condemned Nitish video saying, “If a man in power can remove a woman’s veil today, who decides tomorrow that my covered arms offend him? Control never stops at one piece of cloth. Equality means consent. Always.”
