Muslim woman harassed, niqab pulled at govt hospital in Madhya Pradesh
Incident sparks anger over treatment of Muslim women in Indian public institutions
Bhopal: A Muslim woman was assaulted and threatened, and had her niqab pulled by a male security guard at a government hospital in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh while she was trying to access a public health service, triggering anger over the treatment of visibly Muslim women in state institutions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Shaista, a resident of Khargone district, said the incident occurred at Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital in Indore while she was attempting to obtain an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) digital health ID.
Shaista said the security guard tried to push her out, pulled at her niqab and threatened to record her after confrontation broke out during the registration process, local media reported.
“I was trying to get the ABHA card. The guard tried to push me out, pulled my niqab, misbehaved with me and threatened me that he would shoot a video of me,” she told the media.
Shaista said she confronted guard, telling him he had no right to touch her or treat her in that manner. She said another woman working or present in outpatient department then joined confrontation and also began misbehaving with her.
The pulling of niqab, an Islamic face covering worn by some Muslim women, has raised concerns over the treatment of religiously observant Muslim women in public institutions. Critics demanded to know how a Muslim woman wearing religious clothing could face such treatment while accessing services at a government institution.
Social media users called on hospital administration to preserve and examine CCTV footage and publicly clarify the circumstances of the incident. Some also demanded action if Shaista’s allegations are confirmed.
The incident comes amid broader scrutiny of restrictions and hostility directed at visible expressions of Muslim identity in India. Muslim women’s clothing, particularly the hijab, has been the subject of political and legal controversies in recent years, including disputes in educational institutions and courts. Such controversies have unfolded alongside wider concerns over anti-Muslim discrimination under India’s increasingly Hindutva political climate.
