Amnesty, politicians, journalists attack Bihar CM

• The amnesty stipulates that the CM’s act “insults” the dignity of women.
• He says no one has the right to police a woman’s faith or clothing.
• Mufti Mehbooba says CM should resign immediately.
  

Amnesty International, Indian politicians and other rights groups strongly condemned Prime Minister Nitish Kumar for pulling down the hijab (veil) of Nusrat Parveen, a newly recruited Muslim doctor, during an official function.

The Bihar CM, a day earlier, had removed the hijab of the Muslim doctor at ‘Samvad’, the CM’s secretariat, where appointment letters were handed over to newly recruited doctors.

In a statement, Aakar Patel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International India, said: “This act was an attack on this woman’s dignity, autonomy and identity.”

“When a public servant forcibly pulls down a woman’s hijab, it sends a message to the general public that this behavior is acceptable,” he added.

Patel said no one has the right to police a woman’s faith or clothing.

Such actions deepen fear, normalize discrimination and erode the very foundations of equality and religious freedom, he added.

Patel said this violation calls for unequivocal condemnation and accountability and sought urgent measures to ensure that no woman is subjected to such degrading treatment.

The shocking incident caused a wave of anxiety among minorities in the country and drew strong criticism from home and abroad.

In India, demands are growing to file a harassment case against the Bihar chief minister for humiliating a Muslim doctor.

Political leaders, journalists and human rights organizations called the incident “disgraceful”.

The opposition party Congress lashed out at the CM and said his act is “unforgivable”.

Former Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the CM should resign immediately.

Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav said the CM’s move was “shameful”, while Indian journalist Mohammad Zubair said if he was in his right mind, CM Kumar would not have done this.

Academic Ashok Swain wrote on social media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rudeness and Islamophobia in India has received official approval.

Human rights activist Deepika Pushkar Nath called it a serious incident of “sexual harassment”.

In India, hate crimes against religious minorities have risen alarmingly during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure.

Last month, a US report recommended that India be designated as a country of “special concern” due to religious prejudice and serious violations of religious freedom.

The American Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its report, exposed religious discrimination in India and the extremist policies of the RSS and the BJP’s Hindutva agenda.

The report revealed that Modi and the BJP had implemented discriminatory policies against minorities in line with Hindutva ideology.

He added that the BJP, as the political wing of the RSS, promotes Hindu nationalism.

The RSS has been involved in violent acts against minorities, particularly Muslims and Sikhs, for decades.