Hijab Controversy in Bihar:A short clip from an official event in Patna where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was distributing appointment letters to AYUSH doctors quickly went viral: the footage appears to show the chief minister reaching out and pulling down the hijab of a woman doctor on stage, briefly exposing part of her face. The video spread across social platforms and news channels almost immediately, triggering a wave of outrage, defence and political debate across the country.
Hijab Controversy in Bihar: Immediate reactions
Within hours many public figures reacted. Former actor Zaira Wasim publicly demanded an unconditional apology from the Bihar CM, calling attention to privacy, dignity and consent concerns. Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, who has previously questioned the logic of enforced veiling but is on record opposing public violations of personal dignity issued a strongly worded statement saying he “condemn[s] it in very strong words” and that Mr. Nitish Kumar “owes an unconditional apology to the lady.” Akhtar made clear that his criticism of the practice of parda does not make such an action acceptable.
Every one who knows me even in the most cursory manner knows how much I am against the traditional concept of Parda but it doesn’t mean that by any stretch of imagination I can accept what Mr Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim lady doctor . I condemn it in very strong words . Mr…
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) December 18, 2025
Zaira Wasim’s Reaction
Zaira Wasim, the ex-Bollywood actor, who is widely recognized for her strong and principled stance on issues of identity and personal freedom, was one of the very first celebrities who condemned the incident vehemently.
In her response on the internet, Wasim referred to the hijab being pulled as “infuriating” and a breach of personal and religious boundaries. She emphasized that a woman’s honour and decency are not to be used as a mere gimmick on a public stage and therefore, she insisted on Nitish Kumar’s issuing a sincere and heartfelt apology for what she called an outrageous show of power without any condition.
A woman’s dignity and modesty are not props to toy with. Least of all on a public stage. As a Muslim woman, watching another woman’s niqab being pulled at so casually, accompanied by that nonchalant smile, was so infuriating.
Power does not grant permission to violate…
— Zaira Wasim (@ZairaWasimmm) December 15, 2025
How political camps responded?
The incident quickly became a political flashpoint. Opposition parties and voices from the civil society termed the act as an attack on a woman’s dignity and her religious freedom and called for the person(s) responsible to be held accountable.
It is also said that a police complaint was filed in Lucknow by a Samajwadi Party spokesperson. The story changes when a senior public intellectual or cultural figure comes out and speaks.
Five-time MLA, ex-minister Sanjay Saraogi appointed BJP’s new Bihar unit president
Hijab Controversy in Bihar: Defenses and Support
BJP Minister Giriraj Singh: Taking a contrasting stance, Union Minister Giriraj Singh defended Nitish Kumar’s action, saying there was “nothing wrong” with what occurred and framing the CM’s conduct as acting in a protective manner.
Bihar Minority Affairs Minister Zama Khan: Khan described the incident as a gesture of “fatherly affection” and blamed the backlash on political opposition efforts to inflame sentiment around what he called a non-issue.
