Indian CM pulls down Muslim woman’s hijab at official event
NEW DELHI: In a disturbing incident that has triggered nationwide and international condemnation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down the hijab of a newly recruited Muslim woman doctor during an official government event, sparking outrage over what critics have described as a humiliating and discriminatory act.
The incident took place on December 15, 2025, at “Samvad,” the chief minister’s secretariat in Patna, where appointment letters were being distributed to newly inducted doctors. As the hijab-clad woman stepped forward to receive her appointment letter, video footage circulating on social media shows the 75-year-old chief minister looking at her attire and asking, “What is this?” before bending forward and pulling down her hijab.
The woman appeared visibly shocked and uncomfortable as an official standing nearby quickly intervened and moved her away from the stage. The video clip went viral within hours, drawing sharp reactions from political parties, civil society groups and minority rights advocates across India and abroad.
Opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), strongly condemned the incident. The Congress, in a post on social media platform X, termed the act “vile and shameless,” accusing the chief minister of inappropriate conduct towards a woman official performing her professional duty.
“This is Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. A female doctor came to collect her appointment letter, and he pulled off her hijab. A person holding the highest constitutional office in the province is openly indulging in such a disgraceful act,” the party said.
The RJD went further, questioning Nitish Kumar’s mental fitness to remain in office. “What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental condition appears to have deteriorated to a worrying level,” the party said, demanding accountability and an explanation.
Human rights activists said the incident reflects a broader pattern of hostility and insensitivity towards religious minorities in India. They noted that incidents of hate crimes and discrimination against Muslims and other minorities have increased significantly in recent years.
The controversy has also drawn attention to recent international scrutiny of India’s religious freedom record. Last month, a United States report recommended that India be designated a “country of special concern” over serious violations of religious freedom. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom highlighted discriminatory policies and rising intolerance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, citing the influence of the BJP’s Hindutva ideology and its ideological parent organisation, the RSS.
The report stated that religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Sikhs, have faced increasing marginalisation, harassment and violence, while accusing the ruling establishment of promoting Hindu nationalism at the expense of constitutional secularism.
As the video continues to circulate widely, calls are growing for an official apology, a transparent inquiry and concrete steps to ensure respect for women and religious freedoms at state institutions. The Bihar government has so far not issued a detailed response to the incident.
