Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari on December 20 said he has offered a government job with a monthly salary of ₹3 lakh to a woman doctor from Bihar who was at the centre of a controversy involving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the alleged removal of her naqab during an appointment letter distribution programme in Patna.
Speaking to reporters in Jamtara, Ansari said the offer also includes a government flat, a posting of her choice and full security. He accused Kumar of humiliating the woman doctor and disrespecting the naqab, which he said amounted to an insult to the Muslim community.
“I have invited the woman doctor to Jharkhand and offered her a job with a ₹3 lakh monthly salary, a government flat, preferred posting and full security,” Ansari said.
He further alleged that the incident was not just an affront to one individual but a serious violation of dignity and constitutional values. “The manner in which a woman doctor was treated, by pulling her naqab in public, is an attack on human honour and the Constitution,” he added.
The incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, took place earlier this week at the Bihar Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Patna during an appointment letter distribution ceremony for AYUSH doctors. As the woman doctor approached the dais, Kumar allegedly questioned her wearing a naqab and removed it.
Meanwhile, a police complaint has been filed against the Bihar Chief Minister in connection with the incident. According to police, social worker Mohammad Murtaza Alam, along with several villagers, submitted the complaint at the Itki police station.
Manish Kumar, officer-in-charge of Itki police station, said the complaint was lodged based on the viral video purportedly showing the Chief Minister removing the woman doctor’s naqab. He said the matter is currently under examination.
The incident has triggered sharp political reactions across states, with leaders and rights groups questioning the appropriateness of the act and demanding accountability.