Delhi: A video of screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar questioning the logic behind women wearing the hijab has resurfaced on social media, days after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar sparked controversy by pulling down a woman’s veil during a public event. Reacting to the incident, Javed Akhtar issued a clarification on Thursday, stating that while he stands by his views on the subject of purdah, he strongly condemns the chief minister’s actions.

Sharing his response on X, Javed Akhtar made it clear that his ideological opposition to purdah does not justify what transpired at the event.

He wrote, “Every one who knows me even in the most cursory manner knows how much I am against the traditional concept of Parda but it doesn’t mean that by any stretch of imagination I can accept what Mr Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim lady doctor. I condemn it in very strong words. Mr Nitish Kumar owes an unconditional apology to the lady.”

What happened at the Bihar appointment ceremony?

The controversy stems from an incident involving a newly recruited AYUSH doctor in Bihar. The woman was reportedly taken aback when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled the hijab off her face as she stepped forward to receive her appointment letter.

The incident took place at Samvad, the chief minister’s secretariat, where appointment letters were distributed to more than 1,000 AYUSH doctors.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the appointees included 685 Ayurveda doctors, 393 Homoeopaths and 205 practitioners of the Unani system of medicine. Of these, 10 appointees received their job letters directly from the chief minister, while the remaining candidates were issued letters online.

When it was the turn of Nusrat Parveen, who appeared wearing a hijab across her face, the 75-year-old chief minister reportedly frowned and exclaimed, “What is this?” Standing on a raised platform, he then bent down and pulled the hijab down.

How did officials react at the event?

Following the incident, the visibly flustered appointee was quickly pulled aside by an official present at the venue. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who was standing next to Nitish Kumar, was seen tugging at the chief minister’s sleeve in what appeared to be an attempt to restrain him, according to reports.

What were Javed Akhtar’s earlier comments on hijab?

The resurfaced video of Javed Akhtar is from his appearance at the third edition of the SOA Literary Festival, where he responded to a question on whether covering one’s face makes a woman less strong.

At the event held in November, Javed was asked, “You said you were raised by women who never wore burqas. So, according to you, they were all strong women. But how does covering yourself up make you less of a strong woman?”

Responding to the question, Javed said that both men and women should dress decently but questioned the need for women to cover their faces.

He replied, “No, it’s not about being a strong woman...I can understand from where you are coming. Why should you be ashamed of your face. Why should you be? I believe that revealing clothes – whether men wear them or women – don’t look dignified. If a man comes to the office or college in a sleeveless shirt or short, it’s not a good thing. He should dress decently. And a woman should also be decently dressed.”

Why does Javed Akhtar call the burqa a result of peer pressure?

Javed Akhtar went on to argue that wearing a burqa is not a personal choice but the result of social conditioning and pressure.

He said that if a woman believes she covers her face by choice, then she is “brainwashed.”

“But what makes her cover her face? What is so vulgar, obscene, undignified about her face that it is covered? Why? What is the reason? This is peer pressure. If given a choice, she is brainwashed. If she says that she is doing it on her own, then she is brainwashed.

Because she knows that some peers in her life will appreciate that this is done. If you leave her, then why will anyone cover their face? Does she hate her face? Is she ashamed of her face? What? Why?” Javed further said.