Lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar on Thursday (December 18, 2025) demanded an unconditional apology from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for pulling down the hijab of a Muslim woman during a function in Patna.Also Read | Backlash not new for me, but pained to see it in Kolkata: Javed AkhtarLast Monday (December 15), while distributing the appointment letter to newly appointed AYUSH doctors, Mr. Kumar pulled down the hijab of one of the doctors who came to receive the appointment letter.Mr. Akhtar has demanded the apology by writing a post on social media platform ‘X’.Every one who knows me even in the most cursory manner knows how much I am against the traditional concept of Parda but it doesn't mean that by any stretch of imagination I can accept what Mr Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim lady doctor . I condemn it in very strong words . Mr…— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) December 18, 2025“Everyone who knows me even in the most cursory manner knows how much I am against the traditional concept of Parda but it doesn’t mean that by any stretch of imagination I can accept what Mr. Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim lady doctor. I condemn it in very strong words. Mr. Nitish Kumar owes an unconditional apology to the lady,” Mr. Akhtar said in the post.Ever since the video of his act went viral on social media, different sections of people have been criticising Mr. Kumar. Earlier, Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal posted the video on its social media platform X calling him “Sanghi”.On December 16, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti posted the message on ‘X’ criticising Mr. Kumar and asked him to step down.By posting the video, she wrote, “Having personally known & admired Nitish ji, I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman’s naqaab. Does one attribute it to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly. The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form of an entertainment is even more unsettling. Nitish Sahab perhaps it’s time you step down?”Having personally known & admired Nitish ji I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman's naqaab. Does one attribute it to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly. The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form… pic.twitter.com/1nXl1Xzg1l— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 16, 2025However, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh supported the act of Mr. Kumar saying he had not done anything wrong.“This is not an Islamic country, anyone he or she going to receive the appointment should show the face. Nitish Kumar ji did it as a guardian. Don’t you show your face when you go to passport office and airport. This is India not Pakistan, what Nitish ji did was right,”Mr. Singh told reporters in New Delhi.Also, Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad has already triggered controversy by his statement in support of Mr. Kumar saying what would have happened if he had “touched” somewhere else.While speaking to a local news channel Mr. Nishad on Wednesday said, “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’s also a human being after all. One should not hound him like this. Just by touching the ‘hijab’ caused such an uproar, what would have happened if he had touched something else)”.The Cabinet Minister in the Yogi Adityanath government was laughing while making the statement, following which Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana has filed a complaint seeking legal action against him.In view of the hijab row, Bihar Janata Dal (United) State president Umesh Singh Kushwaha praised Mr. Kumar for doing several welfare schemes in the social, economic, and educational upliftment of the minority community.Mr. Kushwaha said the community, which felt neglected before 2005, had now fully joined the mainstream of development due to the sincere and visionary efforts of Mr. Kumar. He asserted that in the past 20 years, the Nitish Kumar government had taken several concrete and historic steps in the interest of the minority community.Meanwhile, Mr. Kumar on Thursday donated his one-month salary to the Janata Dal (United) fund. He handed over a cheque of his one-month salary to Lalan Kumar Saraf, Deputy Leader of the ruling party in the Legislative Council and Treasurer of the party.Mr. Kumar appealed to party ministers, MPs, legislative party members, leaders holding important positions, and all wealthy and influential individuals who believe in the party’s ideology to contribute as much as possible to strengthen the party. Published - December 18, 2025 07:11 pm IST
