Hijab row: Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey unaware of doctor's refusal to join duty

Patna: Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Thursday said he was not aware of reports that a female doctor had refused to join duty following an incident in which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was seen publicly removing the veil from her face.

The senior BJP leader, however, sought to put a lid on the controversy by asserting that the ruling NDA in the state has always worked for empowerment of women (Matri Shakti).

"I have no such information", was the terse reply of Pandey, whom journalists asked about reports that the Ayush doctor Nusrat Parveen, who hails from Kolkata, has declined the government job following the unsavoury incident that took place earlier this week.

A section of media had on Wednesday reported that she had declined the job.

Parveen was among ten Ayush doctors who had turned up at the Chief Minister's Secretariat on Monday to receive their letters of appointment. When Parveen's turn came, the 75-year-old CM pointed towards her veil (Hijab) and exclaimed 'what is this' before pulling it down and exposing her face.

The incident has drawn criticism from far and wide, including many West Asian countries, and the JD (U) president is facing accusations of disrespecting Muslim traditions, allegedly in line with 'RSS agenda'.

However, Pandey insisted, "Women have always been respected by our CM, who has made huge efforts for the empowerment of Matri Shakti".