IAMC condemns Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s public humiliation of niqabi woman
Washington, D.C. (December 18, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) strongly condemned a hateful incident in which Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar yanked down the face veil (niqab) of a Muslim doctor during a government event, exposing her nose and chin. A video of the incident shows people in the background laughing. In the aftermath of the incident, the victim’s brother told reporters that she was so greatly impacted by the incident that she decided not to join government service.
“To remove the face veil of a Muslim woman – an article of clothing she deems essential – is nothing short of a hate crime and sexual harassment,” said IAMC President Mohammed Jawad. “Kumar’s actions can only be blamed on his own bigotry, and he has sent a dangerous message to Hindu extremists across India: that he and his Bharatiya Janata Party condone the humiliation and harassment of Muslim women.”
Kumar’s actions have been met with nationwide backlash, including calls for his resignation. However, the harassment of hijab and niqab-wearing Muslim women has long been normalized throughout India, escalating in 2022 with the decision of several schools in Karnataka to ban the hijab on campus and the state High Court’s decision to uphold the discrimination. Similar hijab bans were subsequently announced by school administrators in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Hijabi and niqabi women have reported being banned from entering examination halls, facing harassment and assault at medical facilities, and being denied jobs for refusing to take off their veils.
“India’s prolonged campaign of hatred against hijabi women did not begin with Nitish Kumar, and it certainly will not end with only holding him accountable,” said Jawad. “This is the outcome of a decade of anti-Muslim hate normalized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. There must be collective push by Indian opposition leaders and civil society to enforce consequences for anti-Muslim hate at all levels of society.”
