"Against Pardah, But...": Javed Akhtar Slams Nitish Kumar Amid Hijab Row

Poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar said that he is strongly against the concept of pardah or veil, but cannot accept Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's act of removing a Muslim doctor's veil by "any stretch of imagination". Condemning the act, which has sparked a massive political row, Akhtar said Nitish Kumar owes the woman an unconditional apology.

Nitish Kumar, who recently began his tenth term as Bihar Chief Minister, attended an event on Monday and distributed appointment letters to over 1,200 AYUSH doctors. One of the doctors had a hijab on. In a video that has now gone viral, the Chief Minister was seen speaking to the doctor, apparently asking her to remove the veil. Before she could react, the Chief Minister pulled down the hijab, exposing her face. While some in the background were seen laughing, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen trying to stop Kumar.

The video sparked a massive row, with opposition parties demanding Kumar's resignation. Leaders of Nitish Kumar's JDU and its ally BJP, downplayed the uproar and cited Nitish Kumar's contributions to women's empowerment.

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

Amid the row, Akhtar says that anyone who knows him knows how much he opposes 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," he said in a post on X.

Earlier, the Congress termed Kumar's act "vile" and said he should resign. RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmad said Kumar pulling down the hijab shows the JDU-BJP coalition's attitude towards women. Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM said Nitish Kumar's act is intolerable and he should apologise immediately.

Zama Khan, Nitish Kumar's party colleague and the Minority Welfare Minister, said the opposition and leaders from the Muslim community are trying to defame Nitish Kumar. "He wanted society to see the face of the girl after she became successful in life," he said.