Naqab row: SC Bar Association issues condemnation letter against Bihar CM

The Supreme Court Bar Association on Saturday issued a letter expressing its "strongest condemnation" of the recent incident where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down the naqab of a woman doctor during a public ceremony in Patna.

The letter said it was shocking that a person holding such a high office should attempt to demean the dignity and autonomy of the woman by trying to pull down her headscarf.

The incident, a video clip of which has been circulated widely and sparked a major political row, took place on December 15 at the chief minister's secretariat in Patna when Ayush doctors had gathered to receive their letters of appointment. When the woman came up for her letter, Kumar saw her naqab, said "what is this?", and then removed the veil.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) letter said, "Besides infringing on her autonomy, agency and religious freedom, it is a reflection of the depraving attitude against women in general."  It also condemned "the vile comments made by Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad", saying such remarks undermined the dignity of women.

Signed by SCBA secretary Pragya Baghel, it said the association viewed both acts as a grave infringement upon the personal dignity of a woman.

"It is an affront to the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution," the letter said, demanding an unconditional apology from the chief minister and others.