Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar removes the niqab from the face of Dr Nusrat Parveen during a government function in Patna. Photo: SCREENSHOT
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has strongly condemned this outrageous act of public humiliation and violation of religion after the chief minister of India’s Bihar was seen forcibly removing a Muslim woman’s hijab and niqab at a government function, sparking outrage across the region and raising new questions about the treatment of religious minorities in India.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari expressed Pakistan’s strong condemnation over the conduct of the Bihar Chief Minister. He said the incident involving Dr Nusrat Parveen amounted to public humiliation and unacceptable infringement on a woman’s religious and personal rights.
Leghari said forcibly removing a woman’s veil was “deeply regrettable and unacceptable”, stressing that mocking or trivializing such an act only revealed a troubling pattern of disregard for the rights of Muslim women in India.
He expressed full solidarity with Dr Nusrat Parveen and said the episode betrayed a broader erosion of religious freedoms that should concern the international community.
The federal minister demanded an unconditional apology from the Bihar chief minister, warning that violations of religious freedom and human dignity could not be dismissed as humor or spectacle.
He said the incident was a stark reminder for the global community to take note of the growing intolerance faced by religious minorities in India.
It is pertinent to note that a day earlier, on Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributed certificates to healthcare professionals at a government function in Patna. As AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen took the stage to receive hers, Kumar gestured for her to remove her niqab. Before she could react or offer consent, he reached out and pulled her away himself, exposing her mouth and chin.
This sudden gesture seemed to leave Parveen visibly disturbed. As two men on stage, including Bihar Home Minister Samrat Choudhary, timidly attempted to intervene, the moment was largely swept away by laughter, as if it was a clumsy misstep rather than an intrusion.
Footage of the incident quickly sparked outrage in India and Pakistan, prompting a wave of criticism from social media users, activists and commentators. Calls grew for an apology and resignation from the 74-year-old chief minister, with many saying the episode was not an isolated event and reflected the growing normalization of disrespect towards Muslims in India.
The Human Rights Council of Pakistan also condemned Kumar’s “highly shameful, reprehensible and inhumane action”, urging the Indian government to conduct an immediate, transparent and impartial investigation.
“This incident is not simply an insult to an individual but an open attack on human dignity, religious freedom, women’s personal autonomy and fundamental human rights, which is unacceptable in any civilized, democratic and so-called secular state,” the council said in a statement published on X.
“The United Nations, the General Assembly and international human rights organizations take strong note of this incident and demand that India be held accountable for the violation of religious freedom.”
“Furthermore, we demand that the Indian authorities formally apologize to the woman concerned, both personally and officially, and take strong legal and institutional measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” the statement added.
