Iltija Mufti Files Police Complaint Against Nitish Kumar Over Veil‑Pulling Incident
In her complaint to the Kothibagh SHO, Mufti described the incident as “vile” and deeply distressing for Muslims, especially women. She wrote that the act—captured in a widely circulated video—left people “shocked, horrified and worried” as the Chief Minister “pulled down the naqab of a young Muslim doctor in full public glare”
SRINAGAR: Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Friday lodged a formal police complaint demanding the registration of an FIR against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after he was seen pulling off the veil of a woman doctor during a government event. Police have not yet confirmed whether an FIR has been registered against the JD‑U leader.
In her complaint to the Kothibagh SHO, Mufti described the incident as “vile” and deeply distressing for Muslims, especially women. She wrote that the act—captured in a widely circulated video—left people “shocked, horrified and worried” as the Chief Minister “pulled down the naqab of a young Muslim doctor in full public glare.”
Mufti said what aggravated the situation was the reaction of those present, including the deputy chief minister, who “chuckled and watched with glee.” She termed the act “a brutal assault not only on a Muslim woman but on the autonomy, identity, and dignity of every Indian woman.”
The incident occurred on Monday at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Patna, where Ayush doctors had gathered to receive appointment letters. When the veiled doctor approached the stage, Kumar reportedly asked, “What is this?” before removing her veil—triggering a political storm and demands for an unconditional apology.
Mufti said the episode was especially alarming given the “deliberate othering and political and economic disempowerment of Muslims across India.” She added that in the days following the incident, disturbing videos emerged of miscreants pulling off the veils of Muslim women elsewhere in the country.
“Perhaps a chief minister engaging in this vulgar act has emboldened such elements, giving them carte blanche to humiliate Muslim women,” she alleged.
Expressing concern as a young Muslim woman, Mufti said the lack of action so far fails to set a deterrent or precedent. She accused BJP leaders of “justifying Kumar’s indecency” instead of condemning it, insisting that the rule of law must apply equally to all citizens. “Political power does not exonerate anyone,” she said, urging immediate registration of an FIR.
Speaking to reporters, Mufti criticised Union Minister Giriraj Singh for making inflammatory remarks and said the BJP was attempting to justify an act that was “extremely wrong and criminal.”
She also criticised J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his delayed response, saying it was “troubling” that the only Muslim chief minister in India initially remained silent and later “justified” the act. Mufti said she felt compelled to stand in solidarity with the doctor and defend the dignity and identity of women across India.
Later in the day, Kashmir’s chief cleric and Alla Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, during his post‑sermon address at Srinagar’s Grand Mosque, strongly condemned the Bihar Chief Minister’s action, calling it a grave violation of personal dignity. He said no position of authority grants the right to interfere with another person’s self‑respect, and such acts send a dangerous message that power can override ethics.
Mirwaiz, who also heads the Muttahida Majlis‑e‑Ulema (MMU), criticised attempts by political groups and sections of the media to justify the incident by framing it as a debate on women’s empowerment or hijab. He called such diversions “mischievous” and reflective of a “bigoted mindset.”
He emphasised that for Muslim women, the hijab is a matter of faith, identity, and personal choice, and has never hindered education or professional achievement. Empowerment, he said, lies in equal opportunity—not in dictating how a woman should dress.
Mirwaiz said propriety demands that the Bihar Chief Minister apologise to the doctor, and that those defending the act stop masking it as “progress.”
Across Kashmir, political leaders—including Omar Abdullah—and large sections of the public have condemned the incident, with many taking to social media to demand an unconditional apology from Nitish Kumar. At places, angry crowds held protests and asked the Bihar Chief Minister to apologise or quit.
