She can go to hell: BJP's Giriraj Singh defends Nitish Kumar over hijab row

UPDATED: Dec 18, 2025 19:23 IST

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday strongly defended Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the controversy triggered by the latter pulling down a Muslim woman’s veil during an official appointment event in Patna, saying Kumar had done “nothing wrong” and remarking that it was the woman’s choice to refuse the job or “go to hell.”

As the row entered its fourth day, Singh waded into the controversy, asserting that showing one’s face was necessary during official procedures.

“If someone is going to collect an appointment letter, should they not show their face? Is this some Islamic country?” Singh said. Drawing parallels with passport verification and airport security checks, he added that India follows the rule of law and that Kumar had acted like a “guardian.”

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