In a new twist to Bihar's hijab controversy, the female doctor whose hijab was pulled down by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has not joined her job despite receiving her appointment letter. Nitish Kumar was seen pulling off the female doctor's hijab while handing over her appointment letter.
What has the administration said?
Patna Civil Surgeon Avinash Kumar Singh said, "Despite receiving the appointment letter, the AYUSH doctor did not join duty until 7 PM on Saturday. However, after the hijab controversy, the government has extended the deadline for the female doctor to join. Whether the doctor joins on Monday remains to be seen." The exact duration of the extended deadline could not be confirmed.
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According to sources, the female doctor was supposed to join the Sabalpur Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Patna Sadar. A surgeon at the PHC, Vijay Kumar, confirmed that she neither joined nor has made contact. A senior official in charge of the health centre said, "About five to six people joined today. She is not among them. Her name is on the list, but we have not received her appointment letter from the Patna Civil Surgeon's office." It should be noted that candidates must first report to the Civil Surgeon's office before joining their posts.
It has been learned that the female doctor's brother works at a government law college in Kolkata. He said she has decided not to join the government job. "My family and I have tried to convince her a lot. But she remains firm in her decision."
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The hijab controversy
The incident occurred last Monday when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down the hijab from the female doctor's face at a government function in Bihar. The video went viral on social media since. The video shows that when a hijab-wearing female doctor came on stage to receive her appointment letter, CM Nitish Kumar gestured towards her hijab. Before the woman could understand anything, he reached out and pulled the hijab down from her face so that part of her face could be seen. This made the woman feel humiliated.
Nitish Kumar faced severe criticism after the video spread like wildfire on social media. Opposition leaders accused Nitish of disrespecting the woman. Congress has been vocal about this incident. They have demanded not just an apology, but also the resignation of the Bihar Chief Minister. In a post on Congress's X handle, they said that a female doctor had come to receive her appointment letter, and the Chief Minister pulled off her hijab. They added that such behavior by a person holding the highest office in Bihar raises serious questions about women's safety in the state. Congress subsequently demanded Nitish Kumar's resignation.
