'Assault on dignity': Amnesty reacts to hijab removal incident involving Bihar chief minister
World
Amnesty International condemns Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after a video shows him pulling down an Indian Muslim woman’s hijab during an official appointment ceremony.
(Dunya News) – The Amnesty International has strongly condemned an incident involving Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after a video circulated online showing him pulling down the hijab of a Muslim woman during an official government function in Patna.
The footage, which went viral on social media on Monday, shows the Chief Minister gesturing towards the woman’s headscarf before abruptly pulling it down as she stood on stage to receive her appointment letter. The woman, identified as Nusrat Parveen, is a newly recruited doctor appointed by the Bihar government.
The incident occurred at “Samvad”, the Chief Minister’s secretariat, where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited doctors. According to local media reports, Kumar, 75, appeared to question the woman’s attire before leaning forward and removing her hijab. An official standing nearby then swiftly pulled the visibly shaken doctor away from the stage.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who was standing behind Kumar, appeared to intervene and restrain him, while Health Minister Mangal Pandey and the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Deepak Kumar were seen laughing in the background, further fuelling public anger.
Responding to the video, Aakar Patel, Chair of the Board at Amnesty International India, described the act as a serious violation of the woman’s dignity, autonomy and identity.
“This act was an assault on this woman’s dignity, autonomy and identity. When a public official forcibly pulls down a woman’s hijab, it sends a message to the general public that this behaviour is acceptable. No one has the right to police a woman’s faith or clothing,” Patel said.
He added that such actions deepen fear, normalise discrimination and erode the foundations of equality and freedom of religion. Amnesty called for unequivocal condemnation and accountability, stressing that urgent steps must be taken to ensure no woman is subjected to such degrading treatment.
Amnesty further noted that the choice to wear or not wear religious or cultural symbols is protected under the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. Each individual, it said, must be free to make that decision based on personal convictions or cultural customs, without interference from the state or its representatives.
The incident triggered widespread condemnation across India’s political spectrum and among civil society groups. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, accused Kumar of inappropriate and humiliating conduct.
ये बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार हैं।
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 15, 2025
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… pic.twitter.com/2AO6czZfAA
In a post on X, the Congress said the incident reflected “shamelessness” on the part of a Chief Minister holding the highest office in the state. The RJD went further, questioning Kumar’s mental state and calling the incident deeply troubling.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation, while Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav described the act as shameful.
Human rights organisations and journalists echoed these concerns, with growing calls for a harassment case to be registered against Kumar. The episode has been widely described as an act of humiliation against a Muslim woman in a public setting.
The controversy has emerged amid broader concerns about the treatment of religious minorities in India. In recent years, international watchdogs have repeatedly flagged rising incidents of discrimination and intolerance.
Last month, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that India be designated a country of “special concern”, citing serious violations of religious freedom and discrimination against minorities. The report accused the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of implementing policies aligned with the Hindutva ideology promoted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
