'What if he had touched somewhere else': UP minister's remark on hijab row sparks complaint against Nitish Kumar

Lucknow: Amid the raging controversy over Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s alleged attempt to pull the ‘hijab’ from the face of a Muslim woman during a function a few days back, an Uttar Pradesh minister appeared to suggest that it was a petty thing.

‘’Kewal burqa kheencha hai to itna halla ho raha hai, kahin yahan wahan ungli laga dete to kya hota’’ (there is so much hue and cry over mere pulling of hijab…what would have happened if he had touched some other thing), UP minister Sanjay Nishad, president of the Nishad Party, an alliance partner of the BJP, said.

As Nishad’s comments triggered outrage among the women’s activists and rivals, he clarified that it was not his intention to hurt religious sentiments of any community.

‘’I simply wanted to make sure that the matter (hijab controversy) is laid to rest,’’ Nishad said.

A police complaint was filed against Nitish Kumar and Nishad at the Kaiserbagh police station here on Wednesday. The complaint was filed by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Sumaiyya Rana.

‘’People with such a mentality can never respect women irrespective of their religion....there is a need to save women from such people,’’ she added.

BJP leader Aparna Bisht also slammed Nishad for his remarks saying that such comments could not be tolerated in civilised societies.