Veil-pulling row: Nitish should apologise to woman doctor, says Omar

Mumbai: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday demanded an apology from his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar for pulling down a woman doctor’s veil, while simultaneously accusing the BJP of maintaining “double standards” based on the religious identity of the victim. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 11th Edition of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) “Role Model” series, Abdullah expressed shock over the incident, which occurred on Monday in Patna during an appointment letter distribution ceremony.

The incident gained national attention after a video showed Nitish Kumar publicly removing the ‘naqab’ (veil) of a young Muslim doctor while questioning her choice of attire.

Abdullah questioned the necessity of the act and said “why did Nitish feel the need to touch the woman’s clothes? I would not do such a thing. He should realise his mistake and apologise to her.”

Responding to Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s defence of the Bihar chief minister, Abdullah claimed the reaction would have been far more explosive if the roles were reversed.

“One cannot expect anything different from the BJP. If a Muslim leader had touched the veil of a Hindu woman in Haryana or Rajasthan, what a hue and cry there would have been. It would have been a disaster,” Abdullah said.

“But because this doctor was a Muslim, the BJP’s reaction is different.”

He urged Kumar to persuade the doctor to join government service, as she has reportedly refused to accept her appointment letter following the humiliation.

Speaking about a recent controversy sparked by Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan with his comments about Operation Sindoor, Abdullah dismissed the claim as a personal opinion.

“The Congress has not said anything like this. In fact, the Congress and other opposition parties stood in support of the government and the defence forces after the Pahalgam terror attack,” he said, adding that a single leader’s comment cannot be viewed as the official party line.

Reflecting on the “Idea of India,” Abdullah reminded the audience of Jammu and Kashmir’s historic decision in 1947 saying that as a Muslim-majority state sharing a border with Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir “willingly chose” not to join Pakistan but to align with India’s secular vision.

“That is the idea of India we need to protect,” he stressed.

Abdullah also spoke about the two controversies in Jammu and Kashmir — Vaishnodevi Medical College and selection of team for Santosh trophy.

He said 42 out of the 50 inaugural MBBS students admitted through the NEET merit list were Muslim, adding, “…why should that be a case for discussion? If they pass the exam, regardless of their religion, they deserve the chance to become a doctor.”

Addressing regional complaints regarding the selection of the Jammu and Kashmir football team, he insisted that the only choice that matters is between “the talented and the untalented.”

Abdullah also reflected on his interactions with the younger generation, noting their anxiety over the examples set by current politicians.

“The responsibility that rests on our shoulders is to try and hand over to them a country that is at least as good as it was when we took it over,” he said.

Regarding the newly proposed Viksit Bharat G RAM G Bill (statutory replacement for MGNREGA), Abdullah said he would withhold comment until he had thoroughly studied its provisions.