Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing huge criticism following an incident in which he removed the hijab of a woman doctor during a public function.
Amid the controversy, Jama Khan, a cabinet minister in the Bihar government, has come out in strong defence of the Chief Minister, asserting that there was no wrong intention behind the act.
Speaking to the media, Jama Khan said, “Everyone knows Nitish Kumar. He works for every section of society. The woman doctor is like his daughter. Nitish Kumar behaved like a father or guardian, caressing her affectionately. He was feeling proud that a daughter from the minority community had achieved success under his government.”
Khan further alleged that the opposition was unnecessarily politicising the issue.
“Some people in the opposition are making baseless allegations against Nitish Kumar without any reason,” he said.
Reacting to reports of a threat allegedly issued by a Pakistani don against the Chief Minister in connection with the controversy, Jama Khan dismissed it outright.
“This is India. People may issue threats, but they have no meaning. We are Indians, and we are not afraid of anyone,” he said.
The controversy erupted on December 15, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributed appointment letters to 1,283 AYUSH doctors at Samvad Hall in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Health Minister Mangal Pandey were also present on the stage during the ceremony.
Following the incident, the Chief Minister has faced criticism from various quarters, including film actress Rakhi Sawant.
Additionally, a woman has reportedly lodged an FIR against Nitish Kumar at a police station in Lucknow.
Amid the backlash, the woman doctor involved, Dr Nusrat Parveen, has temporarily left Bihar.
She has gone to Kolkata to stay with her family, according to media reports.
Sources say she left the state a day after the incident.
Dr Nusrat Parveen had long aspired to become a doctor and is scheduled to join her government service on December 20.
The developments following the controversy, however, have raised concerns about her safety and well-being.
(IANS)
