Oppn hits out at Nitish Kumar over alleged hijab incident, Pappu Yadav terms it ‘fatherly emotion’

New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Opposition parties on Tuesday criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a viral video in which he is allegedly seen removing a woman’s hijab during a public event, terming the act “shameful” and demanding an apology.

However, Purnia MP Pappu Yadav defended the Chief Minister, saying Kumar’s actions reflected a “fatherly emotion” rather than any intent to insult or humiliate.

The controversy erupted after a video, now widely circulated on social media, showed the 74-year-old Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United chief presenting a certificate to a woman AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) doctor at an official function on Monday. In the clip, Nitish Kumar appears to gesture to the woman to remove her hijab. Before she could respond, he was seen reaching out and pulling down the hijab, briefly exposing her mouth and chin.

Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi condemned the act.

“What he did is extremely shameful, and they should apologise for it. No woman, regardless of her attire, should be publicly humiliated in this manner. Pulling down her burqa like that is completely wrong. If there was something they wanted to explain or convey, it could have been done later. Publicly humiliating her in this way amounts to harassment. It is very wrong and deeply shameful,” Chaturvedi told IANS.

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat also criticised the Chief Minister, linking the incident to broader concerns over women’s dignity and safety.

“We keep talking about ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’ and women’s safety. If a prominent leader like Nitish Kumar is seen doing such an act, it is highly shameful and condemnable. It shows a disregard for personal faith and tradition, and reflects poorly on how women are viewed,” he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC Qari Sohaib said he felt “embarrassment” over the incident.

“Watching those videos was extremely embarrassing for me, and any Bihari should feel ashamed. I can say with certainty that if this had happened to a BJP leader, the national media would not have highlighted it in the same way. The BJP controls many media platforms and is using them to publicise the issue. This is why the BJP appears restless in constantly portraying Nitish Kumar as weak and ineffective,” he said.

In contrast, Independent MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav, came out in defence of the Bihar Chief Minister, saying the action should be viewed in a different light. According to Yadav, the Chief Minister behaved like a father addressing his daughter, and the gesture reflected that emotional bond.

Clarifying his stance, Pappu Yadav said: “No, the hijab was not removed. He spoke like a father to his daughter. The relationship between the girl and a father was reflected in Nitish Kumar’s attitude. It is true that forcibly removing a hijab is not right, and such actions should be avoided. However, criticism should be constructive. Not every criticism needs to be negative. His perspective and behaviour were like that of a father towards his daughter.”

jk/vd