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New Delhi: Days after a video showing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar pulling down the hijab of an AYUSH doctor at an official event sparked widespread outrage, the woman has decided not to join government service, according to a media report.
The doctor, Nusrat Parveen, had recently received her appointment letter and was scheduled to join service on December 20. She was among the hijab-wearing women who attended the Samvad programme in Patna, where the incident took place.
Quoting her brother, Kolkata-based online platform eNewsroom reported that Parveen has decided against joining the service. "She is determined not to join. However, all family members, including me, are trying to convince her otherwise. We are telling her that it is the fault of the other person, so why should she suffer because of it," her brother was quoted as saying.
The incident occurred on Monday during an official ceremony at Samvad, located within the chief minister's office premises, where Nitish Kumar was distributing appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors.
The now-viral video shows the chief minister handing over the appointment letter to Parveen, asking her about her headscarf, and then pulling it down himself. The event was held to distribute appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors, including practitioners of Ayurveda, Homoeopathy and Unani.
Opposition parties have strongly condemned the incident. The Congress termed Kumar's action "shameless" and "vile", saying it raised serious concerns about women's safety in Bihar. "A female doctor had come to collect her appointment letter, and the Chief Minister pulled off her hijab. A man holding the highest office in Bihar indulging in such behaviour raises serious questions about women's safety in the state. Nitish Kumar should resign immediately," the party said in a post on X.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also attacked the chief minister, questioning his mental well-being. "What has happened to Nitish ji? Has his mental condition completely deteriorated, or has Nitish Babu now become 100 per cent Sanghi?" the party said in a post on X. Nitish Kumar took oath as chief minister for the 10th time last month.
Meanwhile, Bihar minister Zama Khan defended the chief minister, saying his actions were "fatherly" in nature. "The chief minister is perhaps older than the father of the woman in question. I have a daughter, and I could sense the fatherly affection he had expressed," Khan told news agency PTI.
