Today, On 20th December, The Supreme Court Bar Association condemned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for forcibly pulling down a woman doctor’s hijab at a public event in Patna on December 15. SCBA Calls it a violation of dignity, autonomy and religious freedom.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) strongly condemned the actions of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in connection with an incident that took place during a public ceremony in Patna on December 15, 2025.
In an official resolution dated December 20, 2025, the President and Executive Committee of the SCBA expressed serious concern over the forcible pulling down of the hijab of a woman doctor during the event.
In its statement titled, “SCBA Condemnation on Recent Bihar Incident”, the association said,
“The President and Executive Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) express their strongest condemnation of the actions of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in forcibly pulling down the hijab of a woman doctor during a public ceremony held on December 15, 2025, at Patna.”
The SCBA also took strong objection to statements made by political leaders following the incident.
It said,
“The SCBA also condemns the vile comments made by Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad. Such derogatory remarks undermine the dignity of women.”
Emphasising the seriousness of the act, the SCBA stated that the incident amounted to a direct violation of a woman’s personal dignity.
The association observed,
“The SCBA views this act as a grave infringement upon the personal dignity of a woman.”
It further noted the alarming nature of the conduct, saying,
“It is shocking that a person holding such a high office should attempt to demean the dignity and autonomy of the woman and tried to pull down her head scarf.”
Highlighting the broader constitutional implications, the SCBA pointed out that the act went beyond a single incident and reflected a deeper problem.
The statement said,
“Besides infringing her autonomy, agency and religious freedom of the young doctor, it is reflection of the depraving attitude against women in general.”
The Bar Association also underlined that such conduct strikes at the core values of the Constitution. It said,
“It is an affront to the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution of India.”
Concluding its statement, the SCBA demanded accountability and reaffirmed its commitment to constitutional values.
It stated,
“The SCBA demands an unconditional apology from them. We reaffirm our commitment to the protection of individual rights and the rule of law.”
The resolution was issued under the authority of the Supreme Court Bar Association and signed by Pragya Baghel, Honorary Secretary, reinforcing the collective stand of the apex court’s lawyers’ body on issues concerning dignity, equality, and fundamental rights.
The controversy arose after a video from a public event in Bihar began circulating widely on social media. The video shows 74-year-old JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar handing a certificate to an AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) doctor during an official programme held on Monday.
In the video, Kumar is seen gesturing towards the woman doctor’s hijab and appearing to ask her to remove it. Before she could react or respond, he reached out and pulled down her hijab, exposing her mouth and chin.
As the incident unfolded on stage, some people present at the venue could be heard laughing in the background. At the same time, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen attempting to intervene and stop the situation from escalating further.
The video triggered strong political reactions across parties. The Congress party condemned Nitish Kumar’s conduct in strong terms, calling his action “vile” and demanding that he resign from the post of Chief Minister.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) went a step further and questioned whether the incident reflected a decline in Kumar’s mental health.
Reacting on social media platform X, the RJD said in Hindi,
“What has happened to Nitish ji? His mental state has now become quite unfortunate.”
The Congress further sharpened its criticism, describing Nitish Kumar’s conduct during the event as “shameless” and “vile.”
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