Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Viral action of a minister in
India
who suddenly forcibly removed the veil worn by a female doctor at a government event.
A video widely circulated on social media shows Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of the state of Bihar, forcibly removing the face covering of a woman who was receiving an appointment letter as a doctor.
In the video, Kumar is seen holding official documents and surrounded by several officials.He then pointed to the veil the doctor was wearing and asked him to take it off.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Before the doctor responded, Kumar reached out and pulled the veil open, revealing the doctor’s face.
Kumar tried to stop this action by a minister standing next to him, but his efforts did not stop anything and the minister joined in laughing with other people after the doctor’s veil was removed.
This incident took place at a ceremony held in the capital city of Patna.
Kumar has served as chief minister of Bihar for nearly twenty years.The 74-year-old is a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
This video was first uploaded on X by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a political party opposing the Modi-Kumar coalition.
“What happened to Nitish ji [“ji” is an honorific in Hindi]? Has his mental condition really deteriorated, or has Nitish ‘Babu’ [another Hindi honorific] now become 100 percent Sanghi?”wrote the RJD party, as quoted
Al Jazeera
.
Sanghi refers to someone affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a 100-year-old right-wing organization that aims to turn constitutionally secular India into a Hindu state.
Modi and most other BJP leaders are life members of the RSS.
The BJP and its allies have long campaigned against the use of the hijab by Muslim women.In 2022, the BJP government in Karnataka state banned the hijab in classrooms, sparking massive protests from the Muslim community.
Some Hindu groups have even demanded a nationwide ban on the hijab.Nearly 18 percent of Bihar’s 127 million people are Muslim.
Reap protests
Opposition parties and Muslim groups have condemned Kumar’s actions and demanded he step down.
“A man occupying the highest position in Bihar has openly committed such a heinous act. Think about it, how safe are women in this state? Nitish Kumar should immediately resign over this disgusting behavior,” the main opposition Congress party wrote in X.
On Wednesday (17/12), members of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a political party representing Muslims and other minorities, held a demonstration in Mumbai and demanded that Kumar be punished.
“A Muslim woman has had her honor tarnished,” shouted one woman protester as she was dragged away by a group of police officers, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
“Nitish Kumar should resign,” said another member there.
Zaira Wasim, a former actress from the Indian-administered Kashmir region, also demanded an “unconditional apology” from Kumar.He emphasized that women’s dignity “is not a toy to be played with.”
“Power does not give permission to violate boundaries,” he exclaims in X.
Even Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke out.He called the incident “shameful” and “very disturbing”.
“Such actions underscore the importance of protecting minority rights and addressing the alarming rise in cases of Islamophobia. Respect for women and religious beliefs must remain fundamental and unshakable principles in every society,” Dar wrote in X.
Kumar has not yet spoken out regarding the criticism against him.On Thursday (18/12), his party, Janata Dal-United (JD-U), posted on X that the chief minister had always supported minorities during his time in office.
“Minorities are safe and protected under Nitish’s government,” the party wrote.
(blq/dna)
Read More: Bahlil Removes Musa Rajekshah from Chairman of the North Sumatra Golkar Party DPD
Read More: Case of Cilegon Boy Died in Luxury House, PKS Officials Examined
