SRINAGAR, Dec 16: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday raised serious questions over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s continuation in office after a video surfaced showing him pulling down the face veil of a Muslim woman during a felicitation ceremony.
Reacting to the viral clip, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said she was “shocked” by the incident and expressed disappointment, citing her long-standing respect for the Bihar CM.
“Having personally known and admired Nitish ji, I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman’s naqaab. Does one attribute it to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly?” Mufti said in a post on X.
She further criticised the conduct of those present at the event, stating that the reaction of onlookers made the incident even more disturbing.
“The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form of entertainment is deeply unsettling. Nitish Sahab, perhaps it is time you step down,” Mufti added.
The video, which has been widely circulated on social media, has triggered political reactions and renewed debate over dignity, consent, and the treatment of minorities in public spaces.