Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after a video showed him pulling down a woman doctor’s hijab at a public event in Patna. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling it disrespectful and inappropriate. Akhtar’s strong reaction has added fuel to the debate, even as netizens accuse him of “selective outrage”.
The controversy resurfaced just days after an old video of Javed Akhtar discussing hijab and women’s clothing began circulating again on social media. In that clip, Akhtar questions the logic behind the practice of hijab. This timing led many users to scrutinise his response to the Nitish Kumar incident more closely.
Javed Akhtar Slams Nitish Kumar Over Hijab Controversy
Javed Akhtar addressed the issue directly on X, formerly Twitter. While reiterating that he has long opposed the traditional concept of parda, he made it clear that this did not justify the chief minister’s behaviour.
He wrote, “Everyone who knows me, even in the most cursory manner, knows how much I am against the traditional concept of Parda, but it doesn’t mean that by any stretch of imagination I can accept what Mr Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim lady doctor. I condemn it in very strong words. Mr Nitish Kumar owes an unconditional apology to the lady (sic).”
The statement came after several public figures (including former actor Zaira Wasim) demanded an apology from Nitish Kumar. Akhtar’s tweet underlined that personal beliefs cannot excuse violating someone’s dignity in a public setting.
Netizens Accuse Akhtar Of Selective Outrage
Despite his clarification, Akhtar faced heavy backlash online. Several users accused him of hypocrisy and questioned why he was outraged now, given his past comments on hijab.
One user commented, “Says a man who wrote some of Bollywood’s most regressive, objectifying scripts, now suddenly discovering moral outrage. To find offence everywhere, you first need the intent to find wrong. This isn’t about dignity. It’s about selective outrage — and Javed Akhtar proves it once again.”
Another wrote, “Javed Ji…you have long called parda a regressive practice-so why outrage now?”
A third user added, “I hope you have said the same thing if it would’ve happened to a Hindu lady wearing a ghoonghat. I hope it is not ‘gender equality move.”
What Nitish Kumar Did At Patna Event?
The incident took place on December 15 during an official programme at Samvad, the Chief Minister’s secretariat in Patna. Nitish Kumar was attending a ceremony to distribute appointment letters to over 1,000 newly recruited AYUSH doctors.
When Nusrat Parveen, a Muslim woman doctor wearing a hijab, stepped forward to receive her letter, Kumar appeared to question her headscarf. In the widely shared video, he is seen asking about it and then attempting to pull it down himself. The moment left several officials visibly uncomfortable.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who was standing beside Kumar, was seen tugging at his sleeve, seemingly trying to stop him. An official quickly intervened and escorted the doctor away as the situation escalated.
The event was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and senior ministers, including Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Health Minister Mangal Pandey.
