Patna: A woman doctor whose naqab was removed by the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitsky Kumar during the appointment letter distribution program earlier this week, did not join the service on Saturday, officials said.
Patna Civil Surgeon Avinash Kumar Singh said Nusrat Parveen did not join duty until 7pm on Saturday and the “window of opportunity for that day” was closed.
“I have been informed that the last date to join has been extended beyond December 20. It will be seen whether Parveen joins on Monday or not,” he said.
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Singh did not specify what the new deadline is for joining.
The incident, the video clip of which went viral and sparked a major political row, took place at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Patna on Monday when Ayush doctors gathered to receive their appointment letters. When the woman came to collect the letter, Kumar saw her naqab, said “what is that?” and then took off the veil.
The Civil Surgeon did not know the exact reason for the delay in the entry of the lady doctor, if at all, as he “had no contact with her or her family members”.
Vijay Kumar, a surgeon at Sabalpur PHC in Patna Sadar, where Parveen was supposed to join, also confirmed that the doctor had not joined duty.
“Around five to six people have joined today and Parveen is not among them… Her name is on the list but we have not received her appointment letter from the civil surgeon office in Patna,” he said.
Read also | Opposition slams Nitish Kumar over viral ‘hijab pulling’ video.
The surgeon said that as per the protocol, candidates are required to report to Civil Surgery in Patna and then join their respective posts.
Meanwhile, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan expressed his disappointment over the naqab line.
“It pains me to hear the word ‘dispute’ in this case. Could there be some kind of argument between father and daughter?” he asked.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, he said, “What have you people made of this? This man (Nitish Kumar) considers the students as his daughters.”
Mahfoozur Rahman, director of the Government Tibbi College & Hospital (GTCH), where Parveen is a second-year student, had earlier in the day hinted at extending the deadline beyond Saturday in “this special case”.
“Ayush doctor Nusrat Parveen has not joined yet and there are no updates on her future progress,” Rahman said.
“Her family said that she wanted to escape the media and that the doctor would think about joining or not,” the director said.
Rahman also rejected the claim that the family had moved to Kolkata out of spite, saying that they had “spoiled such false reports themselves”.
He quoted Parveen’s husband as saying that the family is not angry with Nitish Kumar or the government.
He also claimed that “the family is disappointed by the media controversy.”
The principal said Parveen had last attended the college on December 17 or 18.
He argued that Parveen had both options, either to join the service or to pursue higher education.
