AYUSH doctor joins duty after 23-day delay after Nitish Kumar hijab row

AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen, who was at the centre of a nationwide controversy after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar removed her naqab at a public event, has finally joined duty, 23 days after the incident. She completed her joining formalities on Wednesday, the final day of an extended deadline granted by the state government.

Parveen was originally scheduled to report for duty on December 20 after receiving her appointment letter. However, she did not join on the scheduled date, prompting the government to extend the deadline first to December 31 and later to January 7. Officials confirmed that she reported within the extended timeframe, averting the risk of losing her appointment.

Instead of reporting to the civil surgeon’s office, which is the usual procedure, Parveen chose to complete her joining formalities directly with the AYUSH department. She was expected to be posted at Sabalpur Primary Health Centre in Patna Sadar, but officials at the PHC confirmed that she had not reported there as of Wednesday.

The controversy dates back to December 15, when the Chief Minister was distributing appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors at the Secretariat in Patna. As Parveen stepped forward wearing a naqab, Kumar questioned her attire and pulled down her veil. The video of the incident went viral, triggering sharp political reactions and debates on personal freedom and religious expression.

Amid the backlash, opposition parties criticised the Chief Minister’s conduct, while a Jharkhand minister publicly offered Parveen a government job with a higher salary and additional facilities. Despite the political storm and uncertainty over whether she would continue her studies or take up the post, Parveen ultimately chose to join the Bihar government service within the extended deadline.