Mumbai: Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has strongly criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a viral video in which he is shown attempting to remove a woman’s hijab during a government event in Patna.
In a post shared on Twitter, Akhtar described the incident as unacceptable and said the chief minister should apologize to the woman “unconditionally”.
Akhtar, who has often spoken publicly about her opposition to the traditional practice of purdah, clarified that her personal views do not justify interference with a woman’s choice or dignity. Responding to the video, Akhtar wrote, “Anyone who knows me, even the most cursory, knows how much I am against the traditional concept of purdah. But that does not mean that by any stretch of the imagination, I can accept what Mr. Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim female doctor. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Mr. Nitish Kumar should tender an unconditional apology to the woman.”
Everyone who knows me even cursorily knows how much I am against the traditional concept of purdah, but that does not mean that by any stretch of the imagination I can accept what Mr. Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim female doctor. I condemn this in the strongest terms. Mister…
– Javed Akhtar (@Javedkhtarjadu) 18 December 2025
His comments come amid growing criticism from opposition parties over a widely circulated video of a government event in Patna, where Nitish Kumar was seen pulling the hijab of a woman while giving her a certificate.
In the video, which has sparked outrage across the country, the incident occurred during a function at the Chief Minister’s Office, where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. Before she could respond, Kumar stepped forward and pulled down the headscarf, exposing the woman’s mouth and chin.
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Also read: Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir condemns Nitish Kumar over hijab incident, calls it ‘insult’ to Indian Muslims
Zaira Wasim, who started her acting career with Aamir Khan’s film ‘Dangal’, also reacted to the incident on her social media account on Tuesday and called it a violation of a woman’s dignity.
Her post read, “A woman’s dignity and modesty cannot be tampered with. Certainly not on a public platform. As a Muslim woman, to see another woman pulling down the niqab so casually, with that careless smile, was infuriating. Power does not allow boundaries to be violated. @NitishKumar should tender an unconditional apology to that woman.”