Senior Congress Leader Parveen Sarwar Khan Strongly Condemns CM Nitish Kumar Over Hijab Incident

Calls It an Attack on Women’s Dignity and Constitutional Values

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

SUBASH CHANDER BALI

MENDHAR DECM, 17:-Senior Congress leader and prominent women’s rights voice Parveen Sarwar Khan has strongly condemned the highly objectionable incident involving Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, which took place during an official government programme in Patna on Monday.

During the programme, where appointment letters and certificates were being distributed, a deeply disturbing moment was caught on camera when the Chief Minister, while handing a certificate to a Muslim woman, pulled down her hijab on the public stage, exposing her face. The video clip of the incident has since gone viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism and outrage from across the country.

Reacting strongly, Parveen Sarwar Khan said that such behaviour from a constitutional authority is shameful, unacceptable, and deeply hurtful. She stated that being a responsible citizen, a woman, and a public representative, she condemns the incident in the strongest possible terms. She asserted that what happened in Patna was not an innocent mistake but a serious violation of a woman’s dignity, personal choice, and constitutional rights.

Parveen Sarwar Khan categorically stated that the hijab is not a weakness or a compulsion imposed on women. She said it is the will of women, their identity, and their honour. She emphasized that there should be no need, justification, or courage for anyone to touch or remove it. She remarked that such conduct reflects the mindset of street urchins and not the behaviour expected from someone occupying the highest executive office of a state.

She further said that this act is not just an insult to one woman but an attack on the dignity of women across India and a disgrace to the office of the Chief Minister. According to her, a person holding a constitutional position is duty-bound to protect the dignity, freedom, and rights of citizens, especially women, but this incident shows a complete disregard for those responsibilities.

Highlighting the democratic values of the country, Parveen Sarwar Khan said that India is a constitutional democracy where freedom of religion, personal liberty, and the right to live with dignity are guaranteed to every citizen. She stressed that no authority, howsoever powerful, has the right to violate these freedoms or humiliate a woman in public under any circumstances.

Parveen Sarwar Khan demanded an immediate and unconditional public apology from Nitish Kumar to the woman concerned and to the women of India. She said that silence or attempts to justify such behaviour would only worsen the damage and erode public trust in democratic institutions. She warned that incidents like these, if ignored, set a dangerous precedent and encourage further disrespect towards women, particularly from marginalized and minority communities.

Concluding her statement, Parveen Sarwar Khan said that respect for women is non-negotiable and any act that humiliates them, especially on religious or cultural grounds, must be unequivocally condemned by society and the political system alike. She called upon all democratic forces to stand united in defence of women’s dignity, constitutional values, and mutual respect.