During the distribution of appointment letters to AYUSH doctors on 15 December, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had pulled down the hijab (veil) from the face of Dr. Nusrat Parveen.
File Photo: IANS
Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, dismissing the hijab controversy as a non-issue, said the matter should not be politicised. He advised AYUSH doctor Nusrat Praveen to join her job.
During the distribution of appointment letters to AYUSH doctors on 15 December, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had pulled down the hijab (veil) from the face of Dr. Nusrat Parveen. A video clip of the incident was posted on social media by Bihar’s main Opposition party, the RJD. The video triggered a political debate from Bihar to Jammu & Kashmir, and even to Pakistan.
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The Governor said that Nitish Kumar considers everyone as his daughter. “He is like a father, and Dr. Nusrat is like his daughter. Portraying the conduct between a father and daughter in a wrong way is not good for society,” he said.
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He added that turning the incident into a controversy was completely wrong and deeply unfortunate. The Governor also asserted that his remarks should not be seen as an attempt to defend the chief minister.
Reiterating his appeal, Khan advised Dr. Nusrat to join her job and said that no one should indulge in politics over the issue.
On Friday, the Principal of Government Tibbi College & Hospital, Patna, Mahfoozur Rahman, had said that Dr. Nusrat would join on Saturday. However, on Saturday evening, Rahman said, “AYUSH doctor Nusrat Praveen has not joined yet, and there is no update on her future course of action.”
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari entered the controversy and offered Dr. Nusrat a job in his state with a monthly salary of Rs 3 lakh and a posting of her choice. On social media, he said that Jharkhand would not tolerate the insult of a daughter.
Responding to the offer, JD(U)’s chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said Irfan Ansari’s offer was a lie and that the Jharkhand minister had no authority to make such appointments.
He further said that Ansari promised a salary of Rs 3 lakh, whereas the Jharkhand government pays doctors only Rs 40,000 per month. AYUSH doctors are paid Rs 25,000 on a contract basis as Community Health Officers. The JD(U) leader challenged Ansari to release the rules and regulations of the Jharkhand Health Department if he had the courage.
He demanded an apology for lying to Bihar’s daughter, failing which he asked Ansari to resign from his post.
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