LUCKNOW, Dec. 20 -- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday strongly criticised Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over the hijab controversy, saying instead of being resolved at an early stage the issue had snowballed into a major dispute due to avoidable statements by ministers and others.

In a statement posted on X, she referred to the incident during a public programme in Bihar where a Muslim woman doctor was asked to remove her hijab (veil) while receiving an appointment letter. She said the matter was directly related to women's safety and dignity and should have been resolved long ago.

Calling the continuing controversy "sad and unfortunate," Mayawati said it would be appropriate for the CM to view the incident in the...