"Woman Can Go To Hell": Giriraj Singh's Shocker On Nitish Kumar Hijab Row

Union minister Giriraj Singh, who has emerged as the newest champion of Nitish Kumar in the hijab row, today had a message for the woman who refused to show her face to him. Singh had staunchly defended Kumar yesterday, saying he has done nothing wrong, since identity confirmation is as much a part of getting a job as voting. 

"Nitish Kumar has done nothing wrong," Singh reiterated today. 

"If anyone goes to take an appointment letter, should they not show their face? Is this an Islamic nation? Nitish ji was acting as a guardian... If you go to take your passport, or go to the airport, do you not show your face? You talk about Pakistan and 'Englishtan'. This is India and only Indian laws will work here. Nitish Kumar did nothing wrong," he told journalists.  

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

The backlash has already started.

"Only phenyl will work to clean this man's filthy mouth. You dare not touch the hijabs & naqabs of our Muslim mothers & sisters. Otherwise we Muslim women will set you right by teaching you a lesson you & your ilk will remember for all times to come," PDP's Iltija Mufti, daughter of J&K's former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Only phenyl will work to clean this man's filthy mouth. You dare not touch the hijabs & naqabs of our Muslim mothers & sisters. Otherwise we Muslim women will set you right by teaching you a lesson you & your ilk will remember for all times to come. https://t.co/xOrFQ1uMaW

— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) December 18, 2025

At an event to distribute appointment letters to over 1,200 AYUSH doctors on Tuesday, Kumar was initially seen speaking to the doctor who had a veil on. Then he was seen pulling down the veil, as Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary tried to stop him.

Amid a storm of criticism from the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, Kumar's Janata Dal United has been struggling to defend him, insisting that allegations of age and senility heaped on the 74-year-old are just political tools to attack the 10-time Chief Minister who retained power with a massive mandate a month ago. 

Kumar's party colleague and the Minority Welfare Minister Zama Khan said, "Nitish-ji just showed love to a Muslim daughter. He wanted society to see the face of the girl after she became successful in life". Accusing the Opposition and Muslim leaders of trying to defame the Chief Minister, Khan said those criticising him must know that he gives daughters the utmost respect. 

NDA ally Nishad party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad, however, provoked another storm with his version of the defence.

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 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.