Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should apologise to the woman doctor whose veil he pulled down during a government function in Patna, an incident that has triggered widespread controversy.
Speaking to reporters here, Abdullah said there was no justification for the Bihar Chief Minister to touch the woman’s clothing and termed the act unacceptable. The incident occurred on Monday at the Bihar Secretariat during an appointment letter distribution ceremony for AYUSH doctors, when Nitish Kumar allegedly removed the woman doctor’s naqab after remarking, “What is this?”
“Would you do such an act? I would not,” Abdullah said. “I am told that the concerned doctor has now refused to accept her appointment letter and will not join government service. Nitish Kumar should apologise to her and persuade her to take up the job.”
Reacting to Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh’s defence of Kumar, Abdullah said one could not expect anything different from the ruling party.
“If a Muslim leader had touched the veil of a Hindu woman in Haryana or Rajasthan, there would have been a huge uproar. But since the woman here is Muslim, the BJP finds nothing wrong,” he said.
Abdullah clarified that the issue was not about religion but about dignity and conduct.
“How can anyone touch a woman’s clothes like this? Why did the Chief Minister feel the need to do so?” he asked, urging Kumar to acknowledge his mistake and apologise.
On Political and National Issues
Responding to Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s remarks suggesting a “total defeat” in the aerial fight with Pakistan on the first day of Operation Sindoor, Abdullah said it was Chavan’s personal opinion and could not be treated as the Congress party’s official stand.
“The Congress and other opposition parties stood firmly with the government and the defence forces after the Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
‘Idea of India’
Abdullah was in the city to participate in the 11th edition of the India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) Role Model Series. Addressing the gathering, he spoke about the “idea of India” and Jammu and Kashmir’s historical decision to accede to India.
“I come from a Muslim-majority State which could have gone with Pakistan at the time of Partition, especially because it shared a border. Yet Jammu and Kashmir chose India. That choice defines the idea of India we must protect,” he said.
He added that while ideas of India may differ, democracy and majority rule provide space for debate, even though some developments concern him deeply.
Merit Over Religion
Referring to controversies surrounding medical college admissions and sports selections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah criticised discussions based on religious identity.
He cited the recent debate after 42 out of 50 students admitted to the Vaishno Devi Medical College’s first MBBS batch through NEET were Muslims, and similar concerns raised over the composition of the J&K football team for the Santosh Trophy.
“The only balance that should matter is between the talented and the untalented,” he said.
“The India I want for our children is one where merit alone decides how far they go—nothing else. If someone passes the exam or plays football well, their religion should be irrelevant.”
