Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti has filed a police complaint against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident in which he pulled off the veil of a Muslim woman doctor.
Police at the Kothibagh station in Srinagar received the complaint, though it is not yet clear whether an FIR has been registered.
In her written complaint, Mufti said, “I am writing to bring to your attention a distressing incident which has caused immense distress and hurt among Muslims, especially women. A few days ago, we watched with shock, horror, and concern as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down the ‘niqab’ of a young Muslim doctor in full public glare at a government function.”
She said the behaviour of officials present at the event, with some laughing at the incident, made the matter worse. She alleged, “The forceful pulling down of her ‘niqab’ wasn’t just a brutal assault on a Muslim lady but on the autonomy, identity and dignity of every Indian woman.”
The incident triggered massive political backlash in the country from the opposition parties, with many calling for his resignation.
According to the complaint, when the woman came up to receive her letter, Kumar saw her ‘niqab’, and said, “What is this?” and then removed the veil, prompting opposition parties to demand an unconditional apology from the chief minister.
The complaint said that in the days following the “shameful” incident, “we have witnessed with abject horror videos of miscreants pulling off the niqabs of Muslim women across India."
She even called out UT Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for not issuing a statement over what she described as a shameful act.
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