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ISLAMABAD: Dr. Nusrat Parveen, a newly appointed Unani doctor, was publicly assaulted by Indian Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who pulled down her hijab (veil), as seen in the viral video during an official government ceremony in Patna on Monday.&nbsp;The incident occurred at the Chief Minister&rsquo;s Secretariat, Samvad, where Kumar was distributing appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors, according to Indian media reports.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Parveen was among the doctors called on stage to receive her appointment letter directly from the Chief Minister.&nbsp;Who is Dr. Nusrat Parveen?Dr. Nusrat Parveen is a Unani medical practitioner, part of India&rsquo;s state-backed AYUSH system, which includes Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.&nbsp;She was appointed as a government medical officer under Bihar&rsquo;s health services in the latest recruitment drive, according to officials and Indian media reports.&nbsp;Parveen was one of 1,283 AYUSH doctors recruited by the Bihar government in 2025 to strengthen primary healthcare services across the state.&nbsp;&nbsp;The batch included 685 Ayurvedic doctors, 393 homeopathic doctors, and 205 Unani practitioners, officials said.&nbsp;Dr. Parveen is among the 205 Unani doctors selected in this recruitment cycle. Unani medicine is a traditional medical system with roots in Greco-Arabic medical science and is formally regulated and practiced under India&rsquo;s public healthcare framework.&nbsp;According to government recruitment details, AYUSH doctors are deployed in public health facilities, including primary and community health centers, to provide outpatient care and support national health programs, particularly in rural and underserved areas.&nbsp;The appointment ceremonyThe ceremony on Monday involved the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited doctors, most of whom received their letters digitally.&nbsp;A small group, including Dr. Parveen, was invited to receive letters in person from the chief minister, according to officials.&nbsp;She approached the stage wearing a hijab that partially covered her face. It was at this moment that the chief minister intervened, leading to the widely criticized incident.&nbsp;As of Tuesday, the chief minister&rsquo;s office has also not released an official explanation or apology regarding the incident, Indian media reported.&nbsp;The episode has reignited debate in India over women&rsquo;s dignity, religious freedom, and the conduct of public officials at state functions.

India

Dr Nusrat Parveen, government-appointed Unani doctor, was assaulted when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down her hijab during a Patna appointment ceremony, sparking outrage over dignity and freedom nationwide



Who is the doctor assaulted by Bihar CM ?

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing backlash after a video went viral showing him pulling down a Muslim woman&rsquo;s hijab (veil) at a government function in Bihar on Monday.&nbsp;The incident occurred at the Bihar Chief Minister&rsquo;s secretariat, known as Samvad, during a ceremony attended by newly appointed doctors.&nbsp;Among the 1,283 appointees were 685 Ayurvedic practitioners, 393 homeopathic doctors, and 205 Unani medicine specialists, Indian media reported.&nbsp;While most appointment letters were issued online, ten individuals, including Nusrat Parveen, received their letters directly from the Chief Minister, according to Indian media.&nbsp;As Nusrat Parveen approached the stage to receive her appointment letter, the Chief Minister appeared taken aback by her hijab, which partially covered her face.&nbsp;Indian media reports said he exclaimed, &ldquo;What is this?&rdquo; before reaching out and pulling the hijab aside.&nbsp;The video quickly went viral, triggering a wave of reactions on social media.&nbsp;The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongly criticized the chief minister, questioning his mental health and describing his condition as &ldquo;pitiable.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;What has happened to Nitish ji? Has his mental state reached a completely pitiable condition, or has Nitish Babu become 100 per cent Sanghi now?&rdquo; the party said in a post.&nbsp;&ldquo;The removal of the hijab from a Muslim woman&rsquo;s face clearly reflects the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government&rsquo;s attitude toward the Muslim community,&rdquo; Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed said on X.&nbsp;Public reactionFollowing the incident, a strong backlash erupted on social media, with users condemning the chief minister and accusing him of harboring hatred toward India&rsquo;s Muslim community.&nbsp;Ashok Swain, an academic and professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University in Sweden, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s administration, calling the incident an example of misogyny and Islamophobia.&nbsp;&ldquo;Modi&rsquo;s key ally and Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, forcibly pulls down the veil of a Muslim lady doctor while giving her an appointment letter. In Modi&rsquo;s India, misogyny and Islamophobia have official sanction!&rdquo; he wrote on X.&nbsp;Samajwadi Party Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ravidas Mehrotra, speaking to the media, said the incident showed that the Bihar Chief Minister was not mentally stable.&nbsp;&ldquo;This incident clearly shows that the Chief Minister of Bihar is not mentally stable. After this incident, he has no moral right to remain in the post of Chief Minister even for a single day,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi also raised the issue on X, describing the incident as &ldquo;indefensible and deeply disturbing.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;He owes the woman and the public an unconditional apology. This erratic conduct is alarming and points to a man who no longer possesses the composure or mental clarity required for constitutional office. Seeking medical attention and stepping aside is necessary,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;India&rsquo;s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), also condemned the incident on its official X account, questioning the safety of women in Bihar and calling on the Chief Minister to resign.&nbsp;&ldquo;Look at his shamelessness&mdash;a female doctor had come to collect her appointment letter, and Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab,&rdquo; the party said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Nitish Kumar should immediately resign for this disgusting behaviour. This vileness is unforgivable,&rdquo; it added.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faces widespread backlash after a video showed him pulling down a Muslim woman’s hijab at a government ceremony, triggering political outrage and social media condemnation

Articles tagged with "Bihar"

Who is the doctor assaulted by Bihar CM ?

Indian chief minister faces backlash over removing Muslim woman’s veil

Who is the doctor assaulted by Bihar CM ?