Security Around Nitish Kumar Tightened after Alleged Threat from Pakistan-Based Man

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Dec 19: The security around the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was further strengthened on Friday following reports of a threat allegedly received from a Pakistan-based man on the controversy over his pulling down the hijab of a lady doctor while handing her over an appointment letter for a government job, which was considered as an insult to Islam.

The Cyber police station in Patna has registered a case on the threat to Mr Nitish Kumar. The Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar told reporters that the case has been handed over to Patna Inspector General of Police.

According to official sources, the decision to strengthen his security was taken after intelligence agencies shared specific inputs in the wake of the incident. The issue has intensified political tensions, with Opposition leaders strongly criticising the Chief Minister over the episode.

The controversy started to Monday, when Nitish Kumar was distributing appointment letters to newly appointed AYUSH doctors at an event in Patna. During the ceremony, he allegedly removed the hijab of a Muslim woman who had come forward to receive her appointment letter. A video of the incident soon surfaced on social media which triggered widespread outrage.

In a serious escalation, Kumar also received a threat from Pakistan in connection with the controversy. Pakistani don Shehzad Bhatti allegedly issued a threat against the Chief Minister.  However, officials have not disclosed specific details of the enhanced security measures. Following the threat, the Bihar Director General of Police ordered a detailed examination of the video linked to Shehzad Bhatti. Officials said further action would be taken after the investigation is completed.

Several opposition leaders, including those from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), termed the Chief Minister’s action as “shameful” and unacceptable. They accused Nitish Kumar of hurting religious sentiments and demanded accountability over the incident. As political reactions continued to mount, authorities moved swiftly to reassess the Chief Minister’s security arrangements.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from women parliamentarians across party lines. JMM MP Mahua Manjhi said, “Everyone must ensure that a woman is treated with dignity and not harmed, regardless of her caste, religion or age. If his actions resulted in the woman being humiliated, it should not have happened… it is wrong and we condemn it.”

SP MP Iqra Hasan also criticised the Bihar Chief Minister, saying, “The government talks about respecting women. A woman who reached that position on the basis of her merit was humiliated by the Chief Minister of the state. Today, she has left Bihar and gone to live with her brother in Kolkata. We strongly condemn this incident. We understand that the Chief Minister is elderly, but no elderly or father-like figure has the right to behave like this with a woman. We demand that the Chief Minister publicly apologise to the woman.”

Amidst the controversy, the official sources on Friday denied reports that the lady doctor in question had refused to accept the appointment letter after Nitish Kumar’s bizarre act and had left Bihar. Amid rumours that she has declined the government job, an official concerned on Friday claimed that she would join duty on Saturday.

Dr Mahfoozur Rahman, principal of the Government Tibbi College and Hospital in Patna, where she is due to report, said the AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen’s family has confirmed that she would join duty on Saturday. “I spoke to Parveen’s husband, relatives and her classmates. They told me that she would join duty on December 20. She has to first join the Government Tibbi College and Hospital, and later she will be shifted to her place of posting. Her family members and classmates have assured me that she would join duty,” Dr Rahman said.

The incident, a video clip of which has been circulated widely and sparked a major political row, took place on Monday at the chief minister’s secretariat in Patna when Ayush doctors had gathered to receive their letters of appointment. When the woman came up for her letter, CM Kumar saw her ‘naqab’, said “what is this” and then removed the veil. Following the incident, there were reports that Dr Parveen declined the job.

The incident has drawn criticism from far and wide, including several West Asian countries, and Kumar, also the JD(U) president, has been facing accusations of disrespecting Muslims traditions allegedly in line with the ‘RSS agenda.’

The Peoples Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti on Friday moved a complaint before the J&K Police in Srinagar and sought registration of an FIR against Mr Kumar for removing the veil of the lady doctor during an official function.

Meanwhile, addressing the congregation at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar, chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar condemned the act of the Bihar Chief Minister and described it as a grave violation of personal dignity and moral boundaries.

Earlier several political parties in Jammu and Kashmir condemned Mr Kumar’s act and even thought it was time for the Bihar chief minister to step down. Former J&K Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said it was time for Mr Kumar to step down. “Having personally known and admired Nitish ji, I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman’s naqab (veil),” Ms Mufti said.

She wondered if the act was attributed to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly. “The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form of an entertainment is even more unsettling. Nitish Sahab perhaps it’s time you step down?” Ms Mufti said.

Awami Ittehad Party spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said such an act “strips the office of Chief Minister of any moral credibility left.” “Mr Kumar’s behaviour was not just inappropriate, it was disgraceful, arrogant and shockingly shameless. He has humiliated a young doctor and disgraced his own chair,” Mr Nabi said.

Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal on Friday claimed it was an uncalled for controversy. “A controversy is being created unnecessarily over the issue. The NDA government under the leadership of Nitish Kumar ji has taken several steps for the empowerment of women in the state,” he said.

The acclaimed author and activist Banu Mushtaq said Friday she condemns the practice of women covering their faces, but Mr Kumar’s act was “deplorable.” Mushtaq made the remarks while speaking at the Pune Literature Festival organised by the National Book Trust (NBT). “I condemn both the acts. When I am living in a secular state, then a democratic space is required. As a Muslim woman, I want my private faith not to clash with the democratic space; there should not be any conflict. I should be careful about this… One’s face is an identity. There is no religious compulsion to cover the face, yet people still do. It’s a misinterpretation of Islam,” she said.

“This act is on one side. But Nitish Kumar, being the chief minister, was distributing appointment orders. He wants to know whether the appointment order is actually being given to the same lady. He has the right to know that, fine. But this does not mean that he will pull her hijab down. I condemn and deplore that…Dignity, rules and laws, and constitutional duty were not followed.”