Nitish’s Hijab Row: Complaints Lodged in Police Stations by Women

Hyderabad: Women activists in Hyderabad lodged complaints with Osmania University and Langar Houz police stations against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for removing the hijab of a female doctor at a public event on December 15. They also lodged a complaint with the National Women Commission (NCW).

The incident has sparked outrage in the city. The women activists demanded the state police to register a zero FIR against Nitish Kumar and transfer the FIR to the competent police station in Patna for further investigation. They also urged the preservation of video evidence and initiation of proceedings against the accused.

A socio-political activist, Khalida Parveen, in her complaint alleged that the Bihar Chief Minister had “pulled down the niqab” of a doctor on the stage while giving the job offer letter. “It’s a crime and an insult for a woman. I requested the SHO to lodge an FIR under sections 74, 79, 299 and 302 of BNS,” said the activist.

At Osmania University police station, Lubna Sarwath and other women activists lodged a complaint demanding that the SHO to register a zero FIR against Nitish Kumar. “Nitish Kumar’s action violates dignity, modesty and religious freedom. This incident was captured on video and widely published in national media outlets, thereby amplifying the humiliation and violating her privacy rights under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023,” she argued.

Describing this as a public outrage of modesty and a religious insult, Lubna, along with Nikhat Fatima, Maqbool Mateen, Natesh Dravidian and others, lodged a complaint with the NCW, seeking it to take suo moto cognizance of the incident.

Social media activist and former state secretary of the Movement for Peace and Justice, Mohd Abdul Sattar, demanded that the Bihar Chief Minister should apologise for his misdeed. “Nitish Kumar must publicly apologise to the doctor. It’s none of his business to meddle with a woman’s dignity,” he posted on X.

Newly-nominated Hyderabad District Congress Committee (DCC) president Syed Khalid Saifullah condemned the incident, calling it a “shameful and unconstitutional act”.

The leader said the incident was not just a case of bad behaviour but a direct assault on a woman’s right to privacy, dignity, and freedom to dress as per her choice — rights protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

“This is not just about one religion or one community. This concerns every mother, every sister, and every daughter of our country. The Chief Minister’s actions represent a misuse of power and a dangerous breach of a woman’s personal space. Such conduct is against the values of our Constitution and humanity,” Saifullah said.