Condemn face covering but Nitish Kumar pulling a woman’s hijab was deplorable: Banu Mushtaq
Banu Mushtaq said 'dignity, rules and laws, constitutional duty' were not followed when Nitish Kumar pulled a woman’s hijab at a government event.
Banu Mushtaq said the practice of seragu, or draping a saree or a cloth over the head, is prevalent in all regions in India. (Express photo by Soham Shah) Acclaimed author and activist Banu Mushtaq said Friday she condemns the practice of women covering their faces, but Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulling down a woman AYUSH practitioner’s hijab during a government event was deplorable.
Nitish Kumar has faced intense criticism over the week for pulling down the practitioner’s face covering on December 15 at an event held in Patna to distribute appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH practitioners.
Mushtaq made the remarks while speaking at the Pune Literature Festival organised by the National Book Trust (NBT).
“I condemn both the acts. When I am living in a secular state, then a democratic space is required. As a Muslim woman, I want my private faith not to clash with the democratic space; there should not be any conflict. I should be careful about this… One’s face is an identity. There is no religious compulsion to cover the face, yet people still do. It’s a misinterpretation of Islam,” she said.
Share
