Key Takeaways
- Opposition parties condemn act as disrespectful to religious and personal boundaries
- Nitish Kumar removed hijab from doctor during official appointment ceremony
- Incident occurred at public event distributing 1,000+ AYUSH appointment letters
- Muslim doctor refused Government job after the incident
PATNA — Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has drawn severe criticism after video showed him removing the hijab from a Muslim doctor during an official appointment ceremony Monday.
The incident occurred at Patna’s Bapu Sabhagar auditorium where Kumar was distributing appointment letters to over 1,000 AYUSH practitioners.
Footage circulating on social media shows the 74-year-old chief minister reaching toward Dr. Nusrat Parveen’s face veil as she approached to receive her appointment letter.
The doctor appeared visibly uncomfortable and recoiled from the gesture, which drew uneasy applause from attendees.
Opposition parties responded sharply to the incident. The Congress party described the act as “utterly disrespectful,” while the Rashtriya Janata Dal and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen accused Kumar of repeated judgment lapses.
The controversy has sparked particular concern within Bihar’s Muslim community, which constitutes approximately 20 percent of the state’s population and represents a key voting bloc for Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) party.
Nitish Kumar, sworn in for a record tenth term as chief minister on November 20, 2025, after leading the NDA coalition to a landslide victory in Bihar’s assembly elections.
Female Doctor Rejects Government Job After Incident
The AYUSH doctor whose hijab was removed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a public appointment ceremony has declined the government position, citing severe humiliation and mental distress.
Dr. Nusrat Praveen, scheduled to begin service December 20, has left Bihar for her parents’ home in Kolkata.
Her brother confirmed to media that Praveen was “thoroughly disgusted and hugely embarrassed” by the December 15 incident.
Updated on 19 December 2025

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Nitish Kumar has exhibited signs of physical and mental unfitness, frequently displaying awkward behaviour during public events. For instance, he once placed a small flower pot on the head of a senior civil servant who was sharing the stage with him. Additionally, he was observed laughing and speaking while the national anthem was being played at a large gathering. Furthermore, his actions that disrespect the modesty of a woman constitute a criminal offence that could lead to imprisonment. It isn’t easy to comprehend that he would act indecently at the age of 74.