The recent controversy stems from a video of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appearing to pull down the niqab (face veil) of a Muslim female doctor during a public event in Patna on December 16, 2025, where he was distributing appointment letters to newly recruited health workers. The act sparked widespread criticism from opposition parties (including RJD and Congress), who called it disrespectful to women's dignity and religious sentiments, with some questioning Kumar's judgment. Allies defended it as a non-malicious gesture, with one JD(U) leader claiming Kumar "loves children" and showed respect.
Only a mentally disturbed person would do what this minister did. It’s irresponsible & immoral. It’s called a violent attack on women's rights & above all, it is a deliberate insult to a Muslim woman in public, which therefore he must be held accountable.#NitishKumar pic.twitter.com/X7yc8B7DcX
— د.عـبدالله العـمـادي (@Abdulla_Alamadi) December 15, 2025
In response, Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad (from the Nishad Party, an NDA ally) made a controversial statement downplaying the outrage: "If just the veil has been removed and there is so much uproar, what would have happened if they had touched somewhere else?" This remark was widely condemned as crude and insensitive.
The dignity of Indian Muslims has been turned into a joke just like the lie of a ‘secular India.
— Hafsah Malik (@OGMuseDoree1) December 16, 2025
Another cabinet member of the Indian Parliament said: ‘So what if the veil was pulled down? What would have happened if she had been touched somewhere else?”
Thankyou jinnah . 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/D9LVBwIbpm
These have fueled debates on minority rights in India, with critics arguing they reflect growing intolerance, while supporters often frame them as matters of uniformity or security.
In October 2025, two members of the Australian women's cricket team (participating in a tournament in India) were allegedly inappropriately touched by a motorcyclist while out in Indore. A man was arrested, and Cricket Australia confirmed the matter was reported to police. A Madhya Pradesh minister later advised teams to inform authorities before venturing out, which drew accusations of victim-blaming. This incident highlighted concerns about women's safety in public spaces but was not linked to religious minorities—the victims were foreign athletes.
India's Constitution guarantees secularism and minority protections, but human rights groups and opposition voices frequently raise alarms about implementation gaps and rising communal tensions. Government sources and many citizens counter that such incidents are isolated and do not represent the country as a whole, which remains home to diverse communities and millions of annual tourists. Claims portraying India as broadly unsafe for minorities or visitors are often debated along political lines and should be evaluated with balanced sources.
