Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 18 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday slammed Union Minister Giriraj Singh for defending Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the hijab row, stating that such behaviour is only expected from the BJP leaders.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, CM Abdullah said that the BJP would have led an uproar if the situation were reversed and a Muslim leader had removed the veil of a Hindu woman.
"This is exactly what we can expect from the BJP. If it had been a Hindu woman from Rajasthan or Haryana, wearing a veil, and I had removed it, would the BJP have said the same thing? Imagine the uproar if a Muslim leader had removed the veil of a Hindu woman. But now, because it was a Muslim woman doctor, the BJP's reaction is different. What else can we expect from them?" CM Abdullah said.
Earlier today, Union Minister Giriraj Singh backed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a viral video showing him attempting to remove a woman's hijab, saying he did so as a guardian.
Speaking to reporters, Giriraj Singh instead questioned the woman for covering her face while collecting her appointment letter from the Bihar CM.
"Nitish Kumar has done nothing wrong. If someone goes to collect their appointment letter, will they not show their face? Is this an Islamic nation? Nitish Kumar did this as a guardian. Do you not show your face when you go to the passport office? Do you not show your face when you go to the airport? This is India, and it will be governed by the rule of law. What Nitish Kumar did is correct. There's a new trend these days of linking everything to Islam," he said.
His remarks come amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over a widely circulated video from a government event in Patna, where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was seen pulling down the hijab of a woman while handing her a certificate.
Earlier, a complaint was also lodged at the Kaiserbagh Police Station in Lucknow against Nitish Kumar and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad in connection with the viral hijab video that triggered outrage with political leaders across party lines, condemning Nitish Kumar's actions.
The complaint was submitted by Samajwadi Party leader Sumaiya Rana, accompanied by her lawyers, seeking the registration of an FIR and strict legal action against the two leaders.