Rakhi Sawant Slams Bihar CM Over Pulling Muslim Woman’s Veil, Demands Apology
Mumbai: Indian actress Rakhi Sawant has strongly criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident in which he allegedly pulled the veil (niqab) of a Muslim woman, calling the act disrespectful and unacceptable. The actress demanded a public apology from the Chief Minister.
In a video message shared on her social media platforms, Rakhi Sawant questioned Nitish Kumar’s actions, saying that he invited a Muslim woman to present her with an award as a mark of respect, yet disrespected her by pulling her veil. She said this showed a lack of understanding of Muslim culture.
Rakhi Sawant stated that Islam instructs women to observe the veil and that no one has the right to touch it. In her message, she mistakenly referred to Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, later clarified to be incorrect, as he is the Chief Minister of Bihar. She added that as a senior and experienced politician, such behavior was highly inappropriate.
Bollywood actress Rakhi Sawant wants Indian CM Nitish Kumar to tender apology to Muslim woman unveiled publicly. pic.twitter.com/LOeOS1zQkk
— Zahid Gishkori (@ZahidGishkori) December 16, 2025
The actress further said that pulling a Muslim woman’s veil was deeply wrong and questioned how the Chief Minister would feel if someone publicly disrespected him in a similar manner. She accused him of speaking about respect while acting in a humiliating way, asking, “Aren’t you ashamed?”
Rakhi Sawant emphasized the principle of “live and let live” and urged Nitish Kumar to apologize to the Muslim woman. She demanded that the apology be made publicly in front of the media, with the woman present, and that the Chief Minister address her respectfully as a sister.
She concluded by saying that while she respects the leadership of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, injustice against women and disrespect toward their honor, veil, and dignity would not be tolerated.
