Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar removes the niqab from Dr Nusrat Parveen’s face during a government function in Patna. Photo: SCREEN
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has strongly condemned the shocking act of public humiliation and religious rape after India’s Bihar chief minister was seen forcibly removing the hijab and niqab of a Muslim woman at a government function, sparking outrage across the region and raising new questions about the treatment of religious minorities in India.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari expressed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the Bihar chief minister’s conduct. He said the incident involving Dr Nusrat Parveen amounted to public humiliation and an unacceptable attack on a woman’s personal and religious rights.
Leghari said forcibly removing a woman’s veil was “deeply regrettable and unacceptable”, and emphasized that mocking or trivializing such an act only exposed a worrying pattern of disregard for the rights of Muslim women in India.
He expressed full solidarity with Dr Nusrat Parveen and said the episode revealed a broader erosion of religious freedoms that should concern the international community.
The federal minister demanded an unconditional apology from the Bihar chief minister, warning that violations of religious freedom and human dignity could not be brushed aside as humor or spectacle.
He said the incident served as a stark reminder for the global community to take note of the growing intolerance faced by religious minorities in India.
It is pertinent to note that a day earlier on Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was distributing certificates to medical professionals at a government function in Patna. When AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen came on stage to receive hers, Kumar instructed her to remove her niqab. Before she could react or offer consent, he stepped forward and moved it away himself, exposing her mouth and chin.
The sudden gesture seemed to leave Parveen visibly unsettled. While two men on stage, including Bihar Home Minister Samrat Choudhary, made hesitant attempts to intervene, the moment was largely ignored with laughter, as if it were an awkward misstep rather than an intrusion.
Footage of the incident quickly sparked outrage in both India and Pakistan, prompting a wave of criticism from social media users, activists and commentators. Calls for an apology and resignation from the 74-year-old prime minister have mounted, with many arguing that the episode was not an isolated event and reflected the growing normalization of disrespect towards Muslims in India.
The Pakistan Human Rights Council has also condemned Kumar’s “extremely shameful, reprehensible and inhumane action”, urging the Indian government to conduct an immediate, transparent and impartial investigation.
“This incident is not simply an insult to an individual but an open attack on human dignity, religious freedom, women’s personal autonomy and fundamental human rights, which is unacceptable in any civilized, democratic and so-called secular state,” the council said in a statement published on X.
“The United Nations, the General Assembly and international human rights organizations take note of this incident and demand that India be held accountable for the violation of religious freedom.”
“Furthermore, we demand that the Indian authorities formally apologize to the affected woman, both personally and officially, and ensure strong legal and institutional measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” the statement added.
