Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad has sparked controversy with his remarks in defense of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the removal of hijab for women at a public event in Patna row.
Speaking for a local news channel News from IndiaNishad alleged that Nitish Kumar pulled off the woman’s hijab to verify that the appointment letter was given to the right person. He asked how the incident would be perceived if Bihar Chief Minister he “touched” her anywhere else.
Read also | Opposition slams Nitish Kumar over viral ‘hijab pulling’ video.
“The hijab is not pulled, it is taken off to check that the appointment letter has been given to the right person… people should not worry about that. Arey, he is also a man, he should not wear it… if you want a niqab, that’s it… where else do you put it, what do you do,” says the minister.
The remarks loosely translate to — “he’s not pulling the hijab, he’s taking it off to check if the appointment letter is given to the right person… people shouldn’t make faces and cry over it. After all, he’s human too, we shouldn’t be persecuting him… just touching the veil caused such a commotion… what would happen if they touched something else?”
Nishad, the fisheries minister, serves as a cabinet minister in the second Yogi Adityanath government. He has been a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council since 2021. As a member of the Nishad caste, he founded the NISHAD party in 2016.
The minister smiles at these remarks during the interview.
Abominable, Absurd, and Misogynistic Thinking : Supriya
Nitish Kumar sparked a political row after he was seen on video pulling the hijab off a woman’s face during a government event in Patna. The opposition condemned this act and called it nothing but public harassment of a woman by the elected chief minister.
The viral video involving the 74-year-old chief minister was from an event where Nitsky Kumar presented certificates to AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) doctors. Kumar is seen asking a newly recruited AYUSH doctor to remove her hijab and he eventually pulls it off, according to news agency PTI.
Read also | Tejashwi Yadav’s first reaction to Nitish Kumar after losing Bihar elections
Nishad’s comments drew a sharp response from Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate “These shameless words are being said by UP Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad with a laugh. The manner and sly laugh with which he says it shows his vile, absurd and misogynistic mindset,” Shrinate said in a post on X.
“Sanjay Nishad Clarifies: It Was No Malice”
However, Nishad later clarified his statement. “I said the statement that is causing controversy today with a smile, casually and in my local Bhojpuri dialect. There was no malice against any community, any woman or religion, nor was there any intention to offend,” he told PTI.
A complaint was filed at the Kaiserbagh police station in Lucknow against Nitish Kumar and Sanjay Nishad in relation to the viral series of hijab videos.
The complaint was filed by Samajwadi Party president Sumaiya Rana, accompanied by her lawyers, who demanded registration of an FIR and strict legal action against the two leaders.
“Video from Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is going viral on social media where he is seen pulling down a woman’s hijab… For a person holding a constitutional position to behave in this manner means that he is encouraging his other workers to engage in similar acts,” Rana told ANI.
UP government minister Sanjay Nishad says these shameless words with a laugh. The way and sly laugh with which he says it shows his vile, absurd and misogynistic mindset.
Advocate Misham Zaidi, who accompanied Rana, said the incident and subsequent remarks attract serious criminal provisions. “He has hurt the modesty of a woman. What Sanjay Nishad has done is inciting religious sentiments. This is a clear case under Section 153A as you are knowingly engaging in such acts which may incite riots, riots and disturb the law and order of the state,” he said.
