Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Pulls Down Woman's Hijab at Public Event: Sparks Fresh Mental Health Concerns

Questions about Kumar's mental health had been raised before the Bihar elections as well.

Patna:

Opening himself up to more questions about his mental health a month after taking oath as the Bihar chief minister for the 10th time, Nitish Kumar has pulled a hijab down from a woman's face during a government event in Patna.

A video, which is now being widely circulated, shows the 74-year-old JD(U) chief presenting a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctor during the event on Monday and gesturing to her to remove her hijab. Before the woman could respond, Kumar is seen reaching out and pulling down the hijab, exposing her mouth and chin.

While some attendees in the background laugh, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is seen attempting to intervene and stop Kumar.

Describing Kumar's action as "vile," the Congress party demanded his resignation from the chief minister's position, while the RJD questioned whether this incident demonstrated his deteriorating mental health.

"What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental state has now reached a completely pitiable condition," the party stated in Hindi on X.

RJD Spokesperson Ejaz Ahmad said Kumar's act of pulling down the hijab reveals the JDU-BJP coalition's attitude toward women.

"By removing the hijab from the face of a Muslim woman who observes purdah, he (Kumar) has made it clear what kind of politics the JDU and BJP are engaging in in the name of women's empowerment... Removing a woman's veil is, in a way, an act of snatching away the right to live according to one's culture and religious freedom, which is guaranteed to all by the Indian Constitution and its constitutional system," Ahmad explained.

The Congress labeled Kumar's behavior as "shameless" and "vile".

ये बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार हैं।इनकी बेशर्मी देखिए- एक महिला डॉक्टर जब अपना नियुक्ति पत्र लेने आई तो नीतीश कुमार ने उनका हिजाब खींच लिया।बिहार के सबसे बड़े पद पर बैठा हुआ आदमी सरेआम ऐसी नीच हरकत कर रहा है। सोचिए- राज्य में महिलाएं कितनी सुरक्षित होंगी?नीतीश कुमार…

"Look at his shamelessness - 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 in the state be? Nitish Kumar should immediately resign for this disgusting behavior. This vileness is unforgivable," the party posted on X.

Garland Row

Weeks before the Bihar elections in November, which the JDU and the BJP swept, Kumar faced criticism after a video of him garlanding a woman at a public meeting went viral.

A JDU MP, who attempted to prevent him from doing so, was reprimanded by the chief minister.

Citing incidents like these, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor and several other political figures had questioned Kumar's mental health during the election campaign and suggested he was unfit to govern. Such remarks were considered to have contributed to the NDA's remarkable victory in the elections, securing over 200 of the state's 243 seats while the Opposition Mahagathbandhan was reduced to just 35.

Speaking to NDTV's CEO and Editor-In-Chief Rahul Kanwal after the elections, however, Kishor reinforced his comments and refused to retract what he had said.

"It's not about being older or younger. If you are a chief minister who doesn't appear mentally and physically fit, I would say so. Whether it backfires or not, I am not taking my words back," Kishor stated.