Arif Mohammed Khan Backs Nitish Kumar Amid Hijab Removal Controversy

Patna: Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has come out in support of state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar following the controversy over the forcible removal of a female doctor’s face covering during a public event. Arif Mohammed Khan said that Nitish Kumar views students as his own children and questioned whether a disagreement between a father and daughter should be seen as an issue.

“I am pained by the controversy. Would there ever be a dispute between a father and his daughter?” the Governor remarked, defending the Chief Minister’s actions.

The incident occurred on Monday in Patna during a ceremony where appointment orders were distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. The event was held at the Chief Minister’s official residence. When a young female doctor, wearing a hijab, approached the stage to receive her appointment letter, Nitish Kumar was seen gesturing for her to remove it. Before she could respond, he pulled down her face covering, an act that was caught on video and widely circulated, triggering sharp criticism.

The incident sparked a major political controversy, with PDP leader Iltija Mufti filing a police complaint in Srinagar demanding legal action against Nitish Kumar.

Following the incident, the female doctor told the media that she had decided to decline the job due to the humiliation she faced. Although she received her appointment letter on the 20th of this month, she has chosen not to join service. Her brother told reporters that she is deeply distressed by the incident and feels too humiliated to take up the post, though the family is trying to console her and persuade her to reconsider.