"What If He Touched Elsewhere?" Minister's Shocker On Nitish Kumar Hijab Act

Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad has sparked a controversy with his crass remarks defending Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his recent act of removing a woman doctor's hijab at a public event in Patna. Nishad, speaking to a local news channel on the incident, 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'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)," he told Bharat Samachar.

The minister, who has been serving as a cabinet minister in the second Yogi Adityanath government, was smiling and laughing while making the statement.

Nishad's comments stirred a row, with many leaders slamming him.

Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana filed a complaint against Nishad over his remarks, seeking an FIR and legal action against him.

Former Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh called his remarks "vile" and "misogynistic". "The hijab is sacred to Muslim women. Violating it is assault. Mocking it is despicable. This mindset is exactly why women and minorities feel unsafe under BJP's governance, where slogans like "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" are reduced to empty slogans. No woman of any RELIGION deserves this," he wrote on X.

UP Minister Sanjay Nishad's remarks are vile and misogynistic. The hijab is sacred to Muslim women. Violating it is assault. Mocking it is despicable.

This mindset is exactly why women and minorities feel unsafe under BJP's governance, where slogans like “Beti Bachao Beti… pic.twitter.com/iUuiP3PXmd

— Aslam Shaikh, INC 🇮🇳 (@AslamShaikh_MLA) December 17, 2025

Shaikh also demanded immediate action against the minister and called for his resignation.

Minister's clarification

The UP minister later clarified his statement, saying there were "no ill intentions".

"The statement over which a controversy is being created today was said by me, smiling, casually, and in my local Bhojpuri dialect. There was no ill intention towards any community, any woman, or any religion, nor was there any intent to insult," he said.

Nitish Kumar's 'hijab' act

Kumar, on Monday, pulled a 'hijab' down from a woman's face during a government event in Patna. A video of the incident was shared widely on social media.

The 74-year-old JD(U) chief can be seen handing a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctor during the event. He motioned her to remove her 'hijab', but before she could react, he reached out and pulled it down himself - exposing her mouth and chin.

While some people in the background laughed, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen trying to stop Kumar.

This sparked a huge row with the Opposition questioning Kumar's mental state.