Urgent Letter to Chairperson, NCW: Initiate Legal Action Against CM, Bihar Mr. Nitish Kumar for publicly violating a Muslim woman’s dignity
napm india
From: All India Feminist Alliance - ALIFA NAPM <nariva...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec, 2025, 5:39 pm
Subject: Urgent Letter to Chairperson, NCW: Initiate Legal Action Against CM, Bihar Mr. Nitish Kumar for publicly violating a Muslim woman’s dignity
To: <chairpe...@nic.in>
Cc: <delina....@gov.in>, <mamtaku...@gov.in>, <archana....@gov.in>, Member Secretary <ms-...@nic.in>, <jsnc...@nic.in>, <complain...@nic.in>, <lo-...@nic.in>, <ananyas...@gov.in>, Lilabati Moirangthem <lilaba...@gov.in>
Urgent Appeal to NCW: Initiate Legal Action Against Mr. Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar for publicly violating a Muslim woman’s dignity
18th Dec, 2025
To,
The Chairperson,
National Commission for Women (NCW),
21, Jasola Institutional Area,
New Delhi - 110025
Madam,
We the undersigned are writing to you on behalf of the All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), seeking immediate and firm legal action in the light of a recent outrageous incident, wherein Mr. Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar publicly violated the dignity of a woman from a minority community.
As has been widely reported in print, electronic and social media; on 15th December, 2025, during a public event in Patna where appointment letters were distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors, the Chief Minister forcibly pulled down the naqab (face veil) of Dr. Nusrat Parveen, a Muslim woman professional, after exclaiming "What is this?" and gesturing for her to remove it herself. This non-consensual act, captured on video and widely circulated, was performed in front of officials and dignitaries, with none of them interfering, leaving the woman visibly startled. ALIFA condemns this atrocious and anti-woman behaviour in the strongest terms. It is learnt from reliable media reports that as a result of this shocking incident, Ms. Parveen has decided not to join government service, for which she received the appointment letter.
Nitish Kumar's behaviour clearly exemplifies his patriarchal entitlement and is a profound violation of a women's bodily autonomy, personal dignity, privacy and freedom of religion. By physically removing her veil, he treated her body as ‘public property’, rather than respecting her as an autonomous adult and qualified professional. Whether a woman chooses to wear a veil, uncover her face, or express herself in any other way, that decision belongs to her alone. Nobody, least of all a Chief Minister, has the right to invade a woman’s personal space or violate her dignity. It is infact, the responsibility of the state and its authorities to ensure the safety, dignity, and freedom of women in all spaces and not publicly humiliate or violate them.
The actions of Mr. Nitish Kumar clearly constitute offences under Section 74 (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Section 76 (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and Section 79 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. His behaviour is also a gross violation of the woman’s fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution; including Articles 14 (equality before law), Article 15 (non-discrimination), Article 19 (freedom of expression), Article 21 (right to life with dignity) and Article 25 (freedom of religion).
This is a clear case of gender oppression and systemic misogyny intersecting with religious bias and discrimination at the highest levels. Nitish Kumar's behaviour undermines the constitutional guarantees of equality, freedom of religion, and personal liberty, while eroding trust in public institutions meant to protect, not violate, women's rights. Women in India continue to fight for safety, respect, and freedom from unwanted touch or control; whether at homes, streets, workplaces, or public spaces. When the highest elected official in a state engages in such conduct, it raises grave questions about women's safety and dignity under his governance. This is not an isolated lapse but part of a pattern that diminishes women's autonomy. Neither can this incident be seen in isolation from the growing pattern of demonization of hijab, burqa, skull caps, beard etc.
We equally condemn the faulty framing of this horrific incident by some sections as "fatherly affection" or an attempt to "highlight minority women's progress". These are patronizing positions and reinforce the very patriarchy they claim to transcend. They reduce a grown-up woman to a non-adult, needing guidance and ignore the power imbalance: a high-ranking male politician publicly humiliating a female professional from a minority community. We also unequivocally condemn the outrageous and disgusting remarks of UP Minister Mr. Sanjay Nishad who said, “what would have happened if Nitish Kumar had touched somewhere else”!
In a country where Muslim women already face scrutiny and stereotypes regarding their clothing, such an act by a key state leader normalizes the policing of women's bodies based on their faith. It sends a dangerous message that women's religious and cultural expressions are negotiable, especially when they inconvenience those in power.
We are deeply disturbed by this misogynistic and discriminatory act in our secular country, violating a a woman’s dignity. Such disgusting actions from no less than a Chief Minister send out very problematic signals and deepens the atmosphere of fear amongst women from minority communities, especially Muslim women. We are also quite dismayed that the NCW hasn’t taken suo moto cognizance of this serious issue.
In the light of the above, we call upon the National Commission for Women to immediately take suo motu cognizance of this serious incident and ensure that:
- Mr. Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar issues an immediate and unconditional public apology to the young woman and to all women for his outrageous and unconstitutional act.
- Legal action is initiated against Mr. Nitish Kumar under appropriate provisions of law, (including Sections 74, 76, 79 of the BNS), for his behaviour that has violated a woman’s bodily autonomy, dignity and constitutional rights in full public view.
- Legal action is initiated against Mr. Sanjay Nishad (Uttar Pradesh Minister), and other public personalities for their objectionable comments justifying Nitish Kumar's actions.
- Adequate safety and protection, support with consent, and exemplary compensation be provided to the aggrieved woman, for the humiliation and mental trauma suffered by her.
- Permanent Government employment be provided to Dr. Nusrat Parveen, with full assurance of dignity and safety.
- The Govt of Bihar and Govt of India takes proactive measures to safeguard the rights, dignity and religious freedom of all women in the state and the country, especially those from muslim and other minority faiths.
We call for accountability, including introspection on how power dynamics enable such behaviour, and stronger commitments to gender sensitivity by those holding high public office. We convey our full solidarity to all women asserting their autonomy and dignity.
We hope you will look into all the aforementioned concerns and demands with the due seriousness it deserves and take firm action, to uphold fairness and justice in this entire matter.
Thanking you,
Members of All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA - NAPM)
1. Aatreyee, Activist, Himachal Pradesh
2. Adv Albertina Almeida, Goa
3. Adv Dr Shalu Nigam, Delhi NCR
4. Adv Vertika Mani Org. Secretary, PUCL
5. Akanksha Mehta, Feminist Researcher
6. Anannya, PhD scholar, Delhi
7. Anita Cheria, Bangalore
8. Ankuram Sumitra, Social Activist, Hyd
9. Anuradha Banerji, Sahehi & ALIFA, Delhi and Jabalpur
10. Arundhati Dhuru, NAPM UP
11. Arundhati Ghosh, Bangalore
12. Bhanumathi Kalluri, Activist, Hyderabad
13. Chayanika Shah, Mumbai
14. Deepthi, ALIFA Telangana
15. Dr Sanju Sadaneera, Rajasthan, ALIFA
16. Gabriele Dietrich, Penn Urimay Iyakkam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
17. Geeta Charusivam, Chennai
18. Gouthami, Trainer, North Goa
19. Harpuneet Kaur, Student, Punjab
20. J Devika, feminist scholar, Kerala
21. K. Sajaya, Independent journalist & activist, Hyderabad
22. Kiran Shaheen, Mental Health Campaigner
23. Mamata Dash, Activist, New Delhi
24. Meera Sanghamitra, ALIFA and NAPM Telangana
25. Nandini Rao Akkaraju, New Delhi
26. Nikita, Regenerative Activist, Hyderabad
27. Plaksha Srivastava, PhD Student, Delhi
28. Pranjali Tripathi, Researcher, Delhi
29. Preeti Oza, Gandhinagar, Gujarat
30. Priyanka, Lawyer, Lucknow, UP
31. Radhika Desai, Porvorim, Goa
32. Radhika Ganesh, Ek Potlee Ret Ki and Young People for Politics, Tamil Nadu
33. Sagari R Ramdas, Food Sovereignty Alliance, Telangana
34. Seema Azad, PUCL UP
35. Shahira Naim, Lucknow
36. Shilpa Parthan, Researcher
37. Shiva, Researcher, Delhi
38. Shivani Taneja, Bhopal
39. Shyamala, Chennai
40. Suneetha A, Independent Researcher, Hyderabad, ALIFA
41. Vanaja, Coastal Action Network, TN
42. Varsha, Research Scholar, Telangana
43. Y. Krishna Jyothi, Freelance Journalist-Writer, Hyderabad
Issued by: All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA–NAPM)
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