Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad triggered a controversy after making crude remarks while defending Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident in which Kumar pulled down a woman doctor’s hijab during a public event in Patna.
Speaking to a local television channel, Nishad questioned the outrage over the act and made an inappropriate remark suggesting what might have happened if Kumar had “touched somewhere else.”
The minister, a cabinet member in the second Yogi Adityanath government, was seen smiling and laughing while making the statement.
His remarks drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana filed a complaint seeking registration of an FIR against Nishad, while former Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh described the comments as “vile” and “misogynistic,” saying they reflected a mindset that made women and minorities feel unsafe. Shaikh also demanded Nishad’s resignation.
Amid the backlash, Nishad issued a clarification, saying his remarks were made casually in his local Bhojpuri dialect and without any ill intent. He said there was no intention to insult any woman, community or religion.
The controversy stems from an incident earlier this week in Patna, where Nitish Kumar, during a government function, pulled down the hijab of a woman AYUSH doctor while handing her a certificate.
A video of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing Kumar gesturing to the woman to remove the hijab and then doing so himself before she could react. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen attempting to intervene.
The incident sparked strong reactions from opposition parties, with the Congress and the RJD calling the act shameful and questioning Kumar’s conduct and mental fitness.
Opposition leaders said the act amounted to a violation of a woman’s dignity and religious freedom.
Questions over Kumar’s behavior have surfaced in the past as well, with earlier incidents cited by critics during the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections.
Despite the criticism, the JD(U)-BJP alliance went on to secure a decisive victory in the polls.
