PATNA, Dec. 21 -- Bihar state health society on Saturday extended the date of joining for the newly-appointed candidates selected for the contractual posts of AYUSH doctors following requests from different quarters till December 31. Among these new joinees is also Dr Nusrat Parveen, whose veil was pulled down by chief minister Nitish Kumar during the appointment-letter distribution ceremony, sparking a widespread controversy. Dr Nusrat was among the candidates who didn't join duty on Saturday. December 20, which was earlier the last date of joining. "Since many candidates have not been able to join till today's last date and have requested that the scheduled date be extended, we have stretched the joining date till December 31," said in an order issued by the state health society signed by Amit Kumar Pandey. Patna civil surgeon Avinash Kumar Singh while talking to HT said till date (December 20), 63 AYUSH doctors joined while 12 others, including Dr Nusrat, did not appear for her joining. She was scheduled to join her duty at the Sabalpur based Primary Health Centre under Patna Sadar by 7 pm, but she failed to turn up within the stipulated time. Singh said that Nusrat Parveen did not join duty till 7 pm on Saturday and the "possibility window for the day" was closed. The civil surgeon was not aware about the exact reason behind the delay in the woman doctor's joining, if at all she joins, as he "had no contact with her or the family members."Vijay Kumar, a surgeon at Sabalpur PHC in Patna Sadar where Parveen was expected to join, also confirmed that the woman doctor has not joined duty. "Around five-six people have joined today, and Parveen is not among them... Her name is in the list but we have not received her appointment letter from the civil surgeon office in Patna," he said. The surgeon said that as per protocol, candidates are required to report to the civil surgeon office in Patna and then join their respective workplaces. However, as the date of joining has now been extended, she can join it till December 31. Earlier in the day, Mahfoozur Rahman, principal of Government Tibbi College & Hospital (GTCH), of which Parveen is a second-year student, had indicated an extension in the deadline beyond Saturday in "this special case". Dr Nusrat came to limelight after chief minister Nitish Kumar removed her niqab (veil) while she was receiving her appointment letter from him during a felicitation ceremony at the Patna Secretariat on December 14. As the video clip of the incident went viral, it turned into a spreading controversy, with leaders from the Opposition side demanding an apology from the CM. Leaders from the CM's party, JD(U), and his cabinet colleagues like minority affairs minister Zama Khan defended the CM's gesture saying that his intention was "fatherly". On Saturday, Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who has a reputation as a scholarly authority on Islamic issues, said that Meanwhile, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan expressed his disappointment over the naqab row. "It pains me to hear the word 'dispute' in this case. Can there be any row between a father and a daughter?" he asked. Speaking to reporters in Patna, he said, "What have you people made out of it? This man (Nitish Kumar) considers female students as his daughters." However as the CM has not tendered any apology over the incident, the row over it continues to boil over. On Saturday, the Supreme Court Bar Association on Saturday issued a letter expressing its "strongest condemnation" of the recent incident where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pulled down the naqab of a woman doctor during a public ceremony in Patna. The letter said it was shocking that a person holding such a high office should attempt to demean the dignity and autonomy of the woman by trying to pull down her headscarf....