Photo: Screengrab
NEW DELHI: A video from a government event in Patna on Monday triggered a political row after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was seen removing the hijab of a woman AYUSH doctor while handing over appointment letters.The incident occurred at a programme held at the Chief Minister’s residence, where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. Nusrat Parveen, one of the appointees, stepped forward to receive her letter. After handing over the appointment letter, the chief minister gestured towards the woman’s headscarf, asked her about it, and instructed her to remove it before proceeding to take it off himself.The woman appeared visibly upset for a brief period as some people present at the event were seen laughing. Sharing a video of the incident on social media, the Rashtriya Janata Dal criticised Nitish Kumar, saying, “What has happened to Nitish ji? Has his mental state deteriorated completely, or has Nitish Babu now become 100% Sanghi?” Lashing out at the Bihar chief minister over what it called a “disgusting act”, the Congress party said Nitish Kumar should resign immediately. “If a person occupying the highest post in the state behaves in such a disgraceful manner in public, one can only imagine how safe women are in the state,” the Congress party said. “Look at this shameless act. When a woman doctor came to receive her appointment letter, Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab. If a person occupying the highest post in the state behaves in such a disgraceful manner in public, one can only imagine how safe women are in the state. Nitish Kumar should resign immediately for this reprehensible act. This kind of misconduct is unforgivable,” the Congress party wrote on X. The programme involved the distribution of appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors, comprising 685 Ayurvedic, 393 Homeopathic and 205 Unani practitioners.According to officials, the newly appointed doctors will be posted at various health institutions under AYUSH Medical Services and the National Health Mission. They will be deployed for OPD services and as part of the ‘Roaming Medical Team’ under the National Child Health Programme, aimed at improving school health check-ups and strengthening healthcare delivery across the state.
