Omar Abdullah seeks apology from Nitish Kumar over veil incident involving woman doctor

Mumbai, Dec 18: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday strongly criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident in which he allegedly pulled down the veil of a woman doctor at a government function, calling the act inappropriate and unacceptable, and demanding a public apology to the affected woman.

Reacting to the controversy, Abdullah said the chief minister of Bihar should acknowledge his mistake and apologise to the woman doctor, who, he said, has reportedly refused to accept her appointment letter and declined to join government service following the incident. “Nitish Kumar should apologise to her and persuade her to take up government service. This should never have happened,” Abdullah told reporters in Mumbai.

The incident occurred earlier this week in Patna during a formal appointment ceremony where AYUSH doctors had gathered at the secretariat to receive their appointment letters. When the woman doctor approached the stage, Nitish Kumar reportedly questioned her wearing of a naqab and removed her veil in full public view, triggering widespread criticism.

Questioning the chief minister’s conduct, Abdullah asked what compelled him to touch the woman’s clothing. “Why did he feel the need to do this? Would any of us do such a thing? I certainly would not,” he said, stressing that the issue was not about politics but about basic respect and personal boundaries.

Commenting on Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s defence of Nitish Kumar, Abdullah said such a response was unsurprising. He alleged that reactions would have been vastly different had a Muslim leader touched the veil of a Hindu woman. “If this had happened in Haryana or Rajasthan and the roles were reversed, there would have been a huge uproar. But because the woman here is Muslim, some find nothing wrong with it,” he remarked.

Abdullah clarified that while religion had entered the public discourse around the incident, the core issue was one of propriety and dignity. “This is not about religion. It is about unacceptable behaviour. One cannot touch a woman’s clothes like this under any circumstances,” he said.

Responding to a separate question on remarks made by senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan regarding Operation Sindoor, Abdullah said those comments reflected a personal opinion and should not be attributed to the party as a whole. He noted that the Congress and other opposition parties had stood firmly with the government and the armed forces following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Abdullah was in Mumbai to participate in the 11th edition of the International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) role model series, where he also spoke on the “idea of India”. He said Jammu and Kashmir, despite being a Muslim-majority region with geographical proximity to Pakistan at the time of Partition, had willingly chosen to be part of India. “That choice defines the idea of India we must protect,” he said.

He acknowledged that different people may have different interpretations of the idea of India, which is where democracy plays a vital role. However, he expressed concern over developments that, in his view, risk dividing society along religious lines.

Citing examples from his home state, Abdullah referred to controversies surrounding admissions to the Vaishno Devi medical college and the selection of the Jammu and Kashmir football team. He argued that merit alone should determine opportunities. “The only balance that matters is between talent and lack of talent,” he said.

“The India I want for our children is one where merit decides how far they go, not religion or identity,” Abdullah asserted, adding that anyone who qualifies through exams or performs well in sports deserves equal opportunity, regardless of background.