Dr. Nusrat Parveen, the Ayush doctor whose naqab was removed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a December event, joined her post in Bihar on Wednesday, 23 days after the controversial incident. She reported directly to the department instead of the civil surgeon’s office, completing her joining formalities on the last day of an extended deadline.
Deadline extended for joining duty
Parveen was originally asked to report for duty on December 20, but she did not comply. The state government extended the joining date first to December 31 and then to January 7. Officials confirmed that she finally reported on Wednesday.
Sources had earlier warned that failure to report could result in losing her appointment. Parveen was expected to join Sabalpur Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Patna Sadar, but a PHC surgeon, Vijay Kumar, confirmed that she had not joined there, as she chose to complete formalities directly with the department.
The naqab incident
The incident occurred on December 15 at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Patna, where Ayush doctors had gathered to receive appointment letters. When Parveen, wearing a naqab, came forward, Nitish Kumar reportedly asked, “What is this?” and removed her veil himself. A video of the incident went viral, sparking nationwide political debates and criticism from multiple parties.
The clip shows the Chief Minister gesturing towards Parveen’s headscarf after handing her appointment letter, questioning her about it, and then pulling down the naqab. The incident drew sharp reactions from politicians and civil society members, focusing on questions of personal freedom and religious expression.
Earlier, Mahfoozur Rahman, principal of the Government Tibbi College and Hospital, where Parveen is a second-year student, confirmed that her joining deadline had been extended in this “special case.” Rahman said that as of late December, Parveen had not joined, leaving uncertainty about whether she would take up duty or continue higher education.
“Dr. Nusrat Parveen last attended college on December 17 or 18. She still had the option of joining her post or pursuing further studies,” he said.
