Omar demands Nitish should apologise to lady doctor

Mumbai, Dec 18: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday demanded an apology from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident in which a woman doctor’s veil was pulled down in public, accusing the BJP of following “double standards” depending on the religious identity of the victim.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 11th edition of the India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) “Role Model” series, Abdullah said he was shocked by the incident that took place on Monday in Patna during an appointment letter distribution ceremony. The controversy erupted after a video surfaced showing Nitish Kumar removing the naqab (veil) of a young Muslim doctor while questioning her choice of attire.

Questioning the necessity of the act, Abdullah said, “Why did Nitish feel the need to touch the woman’s clothes? I would not do such a thing. He should realise his mistake and apologise to her.” He added that the chief minister should also persuade the doctor to join government service, as she has reportedly refused to accept her appointment letter following the humiliation.

Reacting to Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s defence of the Bihar chief minister, Abdullah said the response would have been very different had the situation involved a Muslim leader and a Hindu woman. “One cannot expect anything different from the BJP. If a Muslim leader had touched the veil of a Hindu woman in Haryana or Rajasthan, there would have been a massive uproar. It would have been a disaster,” he said, adding that the BJP’s reaction changed because the doctor was a Muslim.

On the controversy triggered by Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s remarks on Operation Sindoor, Abdullah dismissed it as a personal opinion. He said the Congress as a party had not made such a statement and noted that opposition parties had stood with the government and the armed forces after the Pahalgam terror attack. “One leader’s comment cannot be treated as the party’s official position,” he said.

Reflecting on the “Idea of India,” Abdullah recalled Jammu and Kashmir’s decision in 1947, stating that despite being a Muslim-majority state sharing a border with Pakistan, it chose to align with India’s secular vision. “That is the idea of India we must protect,” he stressed.

Abdullah also addressed controversies in Jammu and Kashmir, including Vaishnodevi Medical College admissions and the selection of the Santosh Trophy football team. He said 42 of the 50 inaugural MBBS students admitted through NEET were Muslim and questioned why merit-based admissions should become a subject of debate. On football team selection, he said talent alone should matter.

Expressing concern over the anxieties of young people, Abdullah said politicians must ensure they pass on a country at least as good as the one they inherited. On the proposed Viksit Bharat G RAM G Bill, he said he would comment only after studying it in detail.