Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar removes the niqab from Dr Nusrat Parveen’s face during a government function in Patna. Photo: SCREENGRAB
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has strongly condemned the outrageous act of public humiliation and religious violation after India’s Bihar chief minister was seen forcibly removing a Muslim woman’s hijab and niqab at a government function, triggering outrage across the region and raising fresh questions about the treatment of religious minorities in India.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari expressed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the Bihar chief minister’s conduct. He said the incident involving Dr Nusrat Parveen amounted to public humiliation and an unacceptable assault 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 trivialising such an act only exposed 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 wider 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 brushed aside as humour or spectacle.
He said the incident served as 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 was distributing certificates to medical professionals at a government function in Patna. As AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen stepped onto the stage to receive hers, Kumar motioned for her to remove her niqab. Before she could react or offer consent, he reached forward and pulled it aside himself, exposing her mouth and chin.
The sudden gesture appeared to leave Parveen visibly unsettled. While two men on stage, including Bihar Home Minister Samrat Choudhary, made tentative attempts to intervene, the moment was largely brushed off with laughter, as if it were an awkward misstep rather than an intrusion.
Footage of the incident quickly triggered outrage in both India and Pakistan, prompting a wave of criticism from social media users, activists and commentators. Calls have mounted for an apology and the resignation of the 74-year-old chief minister, with many arguing that the episode was not an isolated event and reflected the growing normalisation of disrespect towards Muslims in India.
The Human Rights Council of Pakistan has also condemned the “highly shameful, reprehensible, and inhumane action” of Kumar, urging the Indian government to carry out an immediate, transparent and impartial investigation.
“This incident is not merely 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 civilised, democratic, and so-called secular state”, the council said in a statement posted on X.
“The United Nations, General Assembly, and international human rights organisations take strong notice of this incident and demand accountability from India for the violation of religious freedom.”
“Furthermore, we demand that Indian authorities formally apologise to the affected woman at both personal and official levels and ensure robust legal and institutional measures to prevent such incidents in the future”, the statement added.
