Nitish Kumar: When Power Touches What It Shouldn’t
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses a public meeting (Image credit JD U IT Cell)
Media houses in Turkey, Qatar, and other Muslims nations amplified the viral video of Bihar Chief Minister pulling down the face covering of the young Ayush doctor in Patna.
By AMIT KUMAR
Patna, December 17, 2025 — A fleeting gesture by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—pulling down a Muslim woman doctor’s face covering at a public event—has sparked a debate far larger than intent or optics. The incident sparked a global interest, particularly in the Middle East, at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is touring Muslim nations.
Media houses in Turkey, Qatar, and other Muslims nations amplified the viral video of Bihar Chief Minister pulling down the face covering of the young Ayush doctor in Patna.
Some, like journalist Nabila Jamal, see misplaced paternalism: a clumsy attempt by a senior leader to tell a young professional she belongs, unhidden, with dignity.
But intent cannot erase consent.
As Swati Chaturvedi rightly argued, no CM, PM, father, or husband has the right to publicly intervene in an adult woman’s choice of dress. Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti went further, calling the act symptomatic of a disturbing normalisation of publicly humiliating Muslims—made worse by the silence and spectatorship around it.
Author Sanjay Jha’s question lingers uncomfortably: why does political power enjoy moral immunity? In any corporate workplace, such conduct would invite inquiry, perhaps resignation.
This incident is not about hijab versus modernity. It is about boundaries. Authority does not confer entitlement over bodies, beliefs, or appearances. When power crosses that line—and faces no consequence—it stops being paternal. It becomes presumptive, and dangerous.
Dignity is not bestowed. It is inherent.
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
About The Author
