Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad has triggered a fresh controversy with his remarks defending Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid the ongoing hijab row. Speaking to a local news channel, Bharat Samachar, Nishad made a controversial statement while justifying Kumar’s actions, drawing sharp reactions across political circles.
Referring to the viral video involving Nitish Kumar, Nishad said, “Hijab kheench nahi rahe hain, hata rahe hain, yeh jaanchne ke liye ki sahi vyakti ko niyukti patra diya ja raha hai… is par logon ko ho-halla nahi karna chahiye. Arey, woh bhi toh aadmi hain na, peeche nahi padna chahiye… naqab chhoo diya toh itna ho gaya… kahin aur chhoo dete toh kya ho jaata.”
(“He is not pulling the hijab, he is removing it to verify whether the appointment letter is being given to the correct person… people should not make a hue and cry over this. After all, he is also a human being, one should not hound him… just touching the veil caused such an uproar… what would have happened if something else had been touched?”)
After making the statement, the minister reportedly laughed loudly, further fuelling criticism.
A sharp reaction has come from Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate over Nishad’s statement. In a post on X, the Congress leader wrote, “So much uproar just for removing a veil, what would have happened if a finger had been placed here or there? These shameless words are being said with a laugh by UP government minister Sanjay Nishad. The manner and the sly laughter with which he is saying this shows his vile, absurd, and misogynistic mindset."
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on Monday showing Nitish Kumar appearing to lift the hijab of a woman AYUSH doctor during a function at the Chief Minister’s residence, where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited doctors.
Following the video’s circulation, opposition parties targeted the Bihar Chief Minister. The Congress shared the clip on X, accusing Kumar of indecent behaviour and questioning women’s safety in the state, while demanding his resignation over what it termed an “unpardonable act.”
