RANCHI: The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Sunday distanced itself from the remarks of Health Minister Irfan Ansari, who offered a job to the female Muslim doctor who was allegedly harassed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during a public event in Patna last week.
JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said that there is no provision empowering the minister to offer a job with a salary of Rs 3 lakh per month.
"I don’t think a minister can provide a Rs 3 lakh job to anyone. However, the issue that is being suppressed should be discussed," the JMM spokesperson said, stressing that the minister's statement was personal.
The party was responding to Ansari's remarks, inviting the female doctor to Jharkhand and offering her a job with a monthly salary of Rs 3 lakh.
"I have invited the woman doctor to Jharkhand and offered her a job with a Rs 3 lakh monthly salary, a flat, a desired posting and full security," the minister said in Jamtara on Saturday.
The minister was responding to the December 15 incident in Patna, where Nitish Kumar pulled the veil (naqab) off the face of a newly-recruited AYUSH doctor while she was receiving her letter of appointment.
He accused Nitish Kumar of attempting to demean the hijab (veil) and the Muslim community through the act. Without naming anyone, Ansari also contrasted the incident with Jharkhand's governance.
"This is Jharkhand. Governance here is sensitive, inclusive and rooted in respect for human dignity," the minister said.
Nusrat Parveen, a doctor hailing from Kolkata, was among ten Ayush doctors who had turned up at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Secretariat on December 15 to receive their letters of appointment.
When Parveen's turn came, the 75-year-old CM pointed towards her veil and exclaimed 'what is this' before pulling it down and exposing her face. The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with many accusing Nitish Kumar of disrespecting Muslim traditions, allegedly in line with the "RSS agenda."
Meanwhile, former BJP minister C P Singh alleged a "possible connection" between the woman doctor and the Al-Falah University in Haryana, which has come under scanner in connection with the alleged "white collar terror module."
Singh demanded an NIA inquiry into the episode and said Ansari was not the health minister for "one community alone."
"People from this particular community want to establish Ghazwa-e-Hind. Therefore, the NIA should investigate whether Nusrat Parveen has any connection to Al-Falah University," the BJP leader alleged.