PDP leader Iltija Mufti lodged a police complaint on Friday against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the niqab-pulling controversy, alleging the public humiliation of a Muslim woman doctor in Bihar.
“We will teach him a lesson so that no one does this in the future,” she said. She also criticised Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for allegedly remaining silent on the disrespect of Muslim women.
Iltija Mufti condemned the act as “shameful” and “highly offensive,” comparing it to sexual harassment and molestation of a woman.
Iltija, along with some women supporters, staged a protest and raised slogans such as “Nitish Kumar Hosh Mein Aao” (Nitish Kumar, come to your senses) and “Hijab Hamari Shaan Hai.” (Hijab is our pride) They described the incident as a violation of a woman’s dignity and religious freedom.
The protest, led by Mufti, was held at the PDP headquarters in Srinagar, where party workers demanded accountability and asserted that public officials have no right to interfere with religious attire.
Mufti later lodged a formal police complaint at Kothibagh Police Station in Srinagar. She submitted a written complaint against Nitish Kumar and asked the police to register an FIR and take action as per the law.
The controversy stems from a viral video dated December 15, which shows Nitish Kumar allegedly pulling down the face veil (niqab/hijab) of a Muslim doctor during an official event in Patna, where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors.
The incident has triggered widespread criticism across the region. Earlier, Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, strongly condemned the incident, calling it an insult to “22 crore Indian Muslims.”
He expressed shame that politicians would resort to such actions for power, stating that it goes against the moral values and religious freedoms guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. The Grand Mufti warned that if such behaviour is not corrected, it could have serious consequences for national harmony.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while condemning the incident, said that humiliating a woman in public is “unacceptable under any circumstances.” He added that Nitish Kumar was earlier viewed as a “secular and sensible politician,” but such incidents expose his true character.
