"Had A Muslim Man Lifted Hindu Woman's Veil...": Omar Abdullah On Hijab Row

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, speaking on the hijab row in Bihar and the BJP's reaction to it, said today that one can expect no better from the party. A section of leaders in the BJP has been vocal supporters of Bihar Chief Minister and ally Nitish Kumar -- who landed in controversy after pulling at a Muslim doctor's veil at a public event.  Today, BJP minister Giriraj Singh escalated the row with his comment that the woman can accept the appointment or "go to hell". 

Amid vocal demands for an apology, Omar Abdullah said, "If I had lifted the veil of a Hindu woman in Haryana or Rajasthan, would the BJP said the same?"

"Had a Muslim man lifted the veil of a Hindu woman imagine the kind of trouble it would have caused. But because the woman is a Muslim, the BJP is behaving this way. We can expect no more from them," he added.

Earlier today, Giriraj Singh had staunchly defended Kumar, saying he has done nothing wrong. "If anyone goes to take an appointment letter, should they not show their face? Is this an Islamic nation? If you go to take your passport, or go to the airport, do you not show your face?" he told journalists.  

Asked what if the girl still refused to take the job, Singh shot back, "Woh refuse kare yaah jahannum mein jaye (She can refuse or go to hell)".

Before Singh, NDA ally Nishad party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad had made headlines with his crude comment defending Kumar.

Speaking to a local news channel, Nishad questioned what would have happened if Kumar had "touched somewhere else".

"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 a man being after all. One should not hound him like this. If touching the 'hijab' caused such an uproar, what would have happened if he had touched elsewhere)," he had told Bharat Samachar.

Today, the leader claimed that his comments were misunderstood because of regional overtones.

"My remark was tweaked and twisted, misinterpreted, its spirit lost in cacophony and translation," the UP fisheries minister was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

Nishad said he belongs to Gorakhpur and the Bhojpuri-speaking belt and expressions and conversational styles differ from region to region. "In Bhojpuri, this is a common way of urging people not to make too much of any issue and to counsel restraint. I chose to use the same style in Hindi and didn't know it will become such an issue," he said.

"Just as language and expressions vary in Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu, dialects in north India and eastern Uttar Pradesh also differ. That does not mean there was any intention to insult," he said.

The Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party sought an unconditional apology from him. 

Nitish Kumar's action, meanwhile, has been censored by the Amnesty International, which has terming the move an "assault on this woman's dignity, autonomy, and identity".

"When a public official forcibly pulls down a woman's hijab, it sends a message to the public that this behavior is acceptable," the global rights organization said.

"Such actions deepen fear, normalize discrimination and erode the very foundations of equality and freedom of religion. This violation demands unequivocal condemnation and accountability. Urgent steps must be taken to ensure that no woman is subjected to such degrading treatment," it added.